NYC church arson suspect allegedly plotted more attacks, had violent notes like 'murder them' and 'rape him'

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ©2026 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by LSEG. New York City residents say it was ‘horrible’ and ‘heartbreaking’ to see a historic church go up in flames after a suspected arson attack. (Credit: Peter Gerber Fox News Digital) A homeless man accused of an arson attack on a historic New York City church admitted to burning the religious site, and prosecutors said he kept disturbing lists of targets of violence with categories such as "kill them" and "rape him" as he mapped out more fire attacks. John Jones, 24, was arrested Wednesday and admitted to law enforcement he set fire to the South Bushwick Reformed Church, sparking a three-alarm fire that torched the 173-year-old church June 19, according to a detention memo filed by federal prosecutors, the New York Post reported. "The defendant admitted to committing the church arson for which he has been charged in this case," the memo states. "Furtherm