Columbus man arrested after alleged church arson near Ohio State campus

A Columbus man was arrested after breaking into and intentionally setting fire to a church near The Ohio State University’s campus on Saturday morning, court documents say.

According to Franklin County Municipal Court documents, 47-year-old Lawrence Rose was charged with aggravated arson.

First responders with the Columbus Division of Fire were called just after 7 a.m. to St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, located at 30 W. Woodruff Ave., on a report of a structure fire.

An affidavit states arriving crews found a chair with fire damage extending into the carpet and wall in the basement. The fire was reportedly self-contained and extinguished prior to their arrival.

Investigators later determined the fire was intentionally set, court documents say. Video surveillance footage showed an individual, identified as Rose, breaking into the church’s west side staircase.

Rose was taken to Wexner Medical Center, where he was treated for self-inflicted wounds, court documents say.

According to the affidavit, Rose admitted to investigators that he broke out the window with his elbow, used a torch-style lighter to set fire to his book bag and threw the bag onto the chair before leaving the scene.

Read more: WBNS