TJC student arrested as suspect in local arsons
Sarah Hall
Section: News
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Jason Robert Bourque, a 19-year-old Lindale resident and Van High School graduate, was enrolled in 9 hours of TJC courses this semester. His fellow classmates and professors never would have guessed that Bourque was behind all of this destruction.
Nick White, an art student who attended high school with
Bourque, said that he seemed like a calm person and that nothing about Bourque would have indicated his secret activities.
"I was under the impression that he was a Christian because he went to that church in Grand Saline," said White.
On Feb. 21, 2010, Bourque and Daniel George McAlister, 21, of Ben Wheeler, were arrested on a charge of arson for the Dover Baptist Church fire. They have not yet been charged with the other nine church fires or three break-ins, but authorities said evidence is pointing to them as the culprits.
"By working closely with our local and federal partners, we brought tremendous resources to this investigation, working around the clock, and culminating in these arrests. The arsons of these houses of worship were despicable and cowardly acts, and Texas won't stand for this kind of criminal activity," said Steven C. McCraw, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, in a press release.
The church arsons began on Jan. 1, 2010 with Little Hope Baptist Church in Canton, Texas and Faith Baptist Church in Athens, Texas. The next arson occurred on Jan. 11 at Grace Community Church of Athens followed by a fire at Lake Athens Baptist Church in Athens on Jan. 12. Tyland Baptist Church of Tyler was the next victim on Jan. 16 and on Jan. 17 another Tyler church was struck, First Church of Christ Scientist. On Jan. 20, the culprits moved their focus to Lindale and burned Prairie Creek Fellowship. Then, on Feb. 4, Russell Memorial United Methodist Church of Wills Point was added to the growing list of arsons. The last two churches that became victims of arson were Dover Baptist Church of Tyler and Clear Springs Missionary Baptist Church of Lindale, both on Feb. 8.
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