Suspicious fires set at church in Levittown

LEVITTOWN, Pa. -- Fire officials are investigating three suspicious fires that were set at a church in Levittown, Bucks County.

"They threw a rag soaked in gasoline in here," said Pastor Ross Manders.

Pastor Manders showed us the damaged caused when someone threw a Molotov cocktail-like object through the men's bathroom window of Restoration Church. It caused significant damage.

Arlene Chiovitt was awake around 4:30 Sunday morning when she noticed the wooden cross on the front lawn of the church was on fire. A wooden playhouse in the church playground was also ablaze.

"And something woke me up and I went out. There was a fire all over and I ran and got my phone and called 911," said Chiovitt, neighbor.

The church's marquee sign nearby was also smashed sometime over the weekend, possibly by the same person or persons.

"It seems like it was a direct attack against us. It seems like they went 10 days ago and tested the window to see if they could get through then 10 days later they broke the window," said Paster Manders.

Ten days ago, vandals broke another of the block windows in the men's bathroom but the church did not report it to police.

Pastor Manders says the congregation is a daughter church to Grace Point Baptist Church in Newtown Square.

That's where four years ago, someone tried to torch three propane tanks but failed.

The person responsible was never caught.

Pastor Manders thinks someone may be trying to persecute them for their faith.

"All around the world, our brothers and sisters are being persecuted in far worse ways than we are. Heads being chopped off on the seasides and point blank machine guns to the face and then here we are getting a little taste of persecution," he said.

Officials do not yet have a suspect in the case.

They are hoping someone may have seen or possible knows something that will help them in their investigation.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the Falls Township Fire Marshal at 215-949-9000.