A Lutheran Church usher set the fire that caused more than $500,000 in damage to the church, prosecutors said.
Richard P. Lewis, a member of Augustana Lutheran Church, admitted to police investigators that he started the Oct. 20 fire at the church, a court document said. Lewis, of Hobart, was arrested in December 2004 at the scene of a house fire in the city just south of Gary.
Lewis admitted under questioning that he set the Friday house fire, along with an October garage fire and a December shed fire that caused several thousand dollars in damage, police Lt. Leo Finnerty said.
Lewis was charged with four counts of arson and a count of cruelty to an animal because a dog died in one of the fires.
Lewis was being held today at the Lake County Jail with bond set at $150,000. He is scheduled to appear in court Jan. 10.
The arrest came as a shock to Augustana church members since Lewis is a member of the congregation, serving regularly as an usher and repairman, the Rev. Charles Strietelmeier said.
"People were of course stunned and very saddened," he said. "I just felt very sad because I had gotten to know (Lewis) fairly well here. I was extremely surprised, and I had not foreseen this possibility at all."
When asked why he started the fires, Lewis told detectives, "I like the fire trucks," court records said. Case Updates| Posted on Sep 7, 2005 - 2:41PM | Richard P. Lewis, who confessed to setting several fires, including one which extensively damaged his church and another that killed a neighbor�s dog, has pleaded guilty to criminal charges of arson, animal cruelty and criminal mischief.
Lewis, 37, of the 1500 block of East High Street, faces a sentence of six to 20 years at his Oct. 14 sentencing hearing before Lake Superior Court Judge Clarence Murray. He told the judge he was out on bond in Porter County on a robbery charge when he was charged with the Hobart arsons.
Lewis admitted in court Monday he set the Oct. 20 fire that caused extensive damage to Augustana Lutheran Church, 207 N. Kelly St.
Lewis, a church member, used keys from a combination box and set communion linens on fire. Lewis waited to make sure the fire was �going good,� then put the key back and left, court records state.
Lewis also admitted he set fire on Oct. 30 to a garage at 409 N. Liberty St., Hobart. Lewis allegedly said he had been drinking and using crack cocaine before he started the fire.
He also admitted to starting a shed fire at 1506 E. High St. on Dec. 3, and setting a garage on fire at 1508 E. High St.
On Dec. 17, Lewis started drinking a six-pack of beer, and at about 6:30 p.m. Lewis got �the firebug itch,� according to court records. Lewis checked his back yard to see if any neighbors were outside and decided to set his neighbor�s house on fire.
He used a screwdriver to punch a hole through a window on the west side of a home at 1502 High St., ignited some newspaper, dropped it through the window and went home to watch the fire. Lewis called 911 to report the fire as it grew larger and attempted to use a garden hose to extinguish the fire, but the hose was frozen.
Lewis was aware his neighbor�s dog was inside the burning home, �however he did not think about the animal at the time he started the fire,� according to court records.
Lewis was hoping that the fire would have remained small and would have been extinguished quickly. �The defendant was hoping to get some 'action in the neighborhood� by starting the fire, court records indicate.
The residents� home was damaged beyond repair and the family dog died.
Lewis Sept. 12 jury trial was canceled. | | Source: Post-Tribune - Sept 7, 2005 |
References« Back to Search Results
|
