Updated Apr 11, 2019

Louisiana church burnings: Authorities take suspect into custody

Authorities arrested a suspect on suspicion of burning 3 historically black churches in Louisiana's St. Landry Parish, the U.S. Attorney's Office said Wednesday night.

What's new: At a Thursday news conference, the suspect was identified as Holden Matthews, a 21-year-old white man and son of a St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s deputy. Matthews faces 3 counts of simple arson of a religious building, per AP.

Details: "The U.S. Attorney’s Office, ATF, and FBI are working with state and local law enforcement and stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the victims and those St. Landry Parish residents affected by these despicable acts," the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Western District of Louisiana said in a statement on April 10.

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