18-year-old suspect arrested for Texas synagogue arson

Police arrest a suspect related to a fire set at a synagogue in Austin, Texas, late last month.

Franklin Barrett Sechriest, 18, was arrested yesterday by arson investigators with the Austin Fire Department, according to police. Investigators identified Sechriest using surveillance footage that showed the license plate on the car he allegedly used to get to the synagogue.

The fire, which was set on Halloween night, caused an estimated $25,000 of damage to the building, according to the Austin Fire Department. According to a donation page on the synagogue’s website, the fire destroyed the synagogue’s carved wooden doors, damaged the building’s stained glass windows and caused smoke damage throughout the sanctuary.