Columbia [LA] Men Charged with Arson After Destroying Caldwell Parish’s Only Catholic Church the Friday Before Holy Week

On April 1, 2026, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana charged Anthony Dillon, Jr., 19, and James Dale Smith IV, 21, both of Columbia, with arson after the two burned down the only Catholic church in Caldwell Parish the Friday before Holy Week was set to begin. If convicted, the two men face a mandatory minimum of five years in federal prison with a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, three years of federal supervision, and a fine of $250,000.

“Worshiping where we choose is a fundamental liberty woven into the founding fabric of this Nation, and these two men are alleged to have destroyed the sole church in Caldwell Parish where its Catholic residents could meet and worship right before the holiest week in the church calendar,” said United States Attorney Zachary A. Keller. “Our Office looks forward to seeking and securing justice for the residents of Caldwell Parish here and hope that this case shows our rural communities that we remain present and vigilant in serving and protecting them.”

As alleged in court documents, Dillon and Smith were residing in a home that was stealing electricity from the church and sold a broken television set to another Columbia resident in the days leading up to the arson. After the church disrupted the electricity theft and the men’s customer contacted them about the broken television, Dillon and Smith showed up to the church in the early hours of March 27, 2026, breaking a window with a baseball bat to gain entry to the church. After ransacking the church’s electronic equipment, including the theft of at least three televisions and a sound system, the men set the church ablaze. When law enforcement arrived after a 911 call reported the church to be on fire, they found the church burning down:

Read more: Department of Justice