Weekend Post-Sunday February 21, 2010

NEWS&MEDIA!

Authorities have charged two men with arson for a church fire in east Texas, and say they believe they are connected to other such fires in the area. Jason Robert Bourque, 19, and Daniel George McAllister, 21, were charged with one count of arson each in connection with a fire set at the Dover Baptist Church in Tyler on February 8, the state's Department of Public Safety said. ."East Texans can rest easier tonight," McCraw said at a news conference announcing the arrests.Governor Rick Perry commended the local, state and federal officers who he said worked around the clock to nab the suspects. "The criminals responsible for these atrocious attacks terrorized not only the respective church congregations but entire communities," he said.Authorities say they believe the men are connected to nine other church fires that have been set in the area since January 1.Bourque and McAllister are also suspects in the attempted break-ins at three separate churches earlier this month, said Steve McCraw, director of the public safety department. A federal law enforcement source told CNN that multiple pieces of evidence have been linked to one of the suspects through DNA and that many of the fires were ignited the same wayA call to a tip hotline led to the arrests, said the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which offered a $25,000 reward for information about the fires.