Man charged with burglary, arson in Cayce church fire
A man has been arrested for arson and burglary after an investigation into a fire that broke out in a Cayce church over the weekend.
Paul Peter Lavoie, 53, was arrested by Cayce police Tuesday and charged with second-degree arson and second-degree burglary.
Lavoie is accused of breaking into Trinity Baptist Church Saturday night and setting a fire inside the building. Trinity is located on Charleston Highway near the Columbia Speedway.
The church suffered damage to approximately 10% of its interior, with smoke damage spreading more widely throughout the building, a Cayce city spokesperson said. A preliminary estimate puts the damage at around $100,000.
Fire crews from Lexington County and Batesburg-Leesville as well as Cayce responded around 2 a.m. when smoke started pouring out of the church, WLTX reported.
Cayce police officers found Lavoie near the church and interviewed him on the night of the fire, but he was not arrested until a follow-up interview Tuesday. Officers said Lavoie confessed to breaking out glass at the church and setting a fire, according to a news release from the city.
The Cayce police and fire departments jointly investigated the Trinity church fire along with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
“We want to thank the tireless efforts of our investigators, and our State and Federal partners with providing closure to this case,” Cayce Police Chief Chris Cowan and Fire Chief Steven Bullard said in a statement. “This would not have been possible without boots on the ground dedicating their time to bring the man responsible to justice. Arson cases can often be some of the most difficult to investigate and the commitment and professionalism of our team will hopefully bring closure to the church family.”
This story was originally published March 3, 2022 at 12:43 PM.
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