Arrest made in arson, burglary
Published 4:33 pm Tuesday, July 31, 2018
The Suffolk Police Department has made an arrest in conjunction with incidents that occurred on Nansemond Parkway late Monday evening.
Gideon Gitahi Njoroge, 20, of Schertz, Texas, has been arrested on warrants including breaking and entering with intent to commit felony and destruct/removal church or cemetery structure, arson of business and vandalism of private property, according to a press release.
Emergency Communications was originally dispatched to an alarm call at Union Baptist Missionary Church at 11:04 p.m. Monday.
Suffolk Police Department positively identified Njoroge as the subject walking in the area of the church, according to the release. An officer made contact with Njoroge and found him with several cuts on his arms and pieces of glass on his shoes, the release stated.
Preliminary investigation found that the glass had been broken on a door at the church. Surveillance video footage showed the subject.
Surveillance video footage also revealed that the same offender had started a fire near a cage containing gas propane cylinders at Turf and Garden on Nansemond Parkway, the release stated. The subject also destroyed a section of fencing at the business.
Njoroge is currently being held without bond at Western Tidewater Regional Jail.
The investigation remains ongoing and additional charges are forthcoming.