Police have filed a

juvenile complaint against a 10-year-old

Fayetteville youth in connection with a fire

Monday afternoon at the First Baptist Church.

According to

reports, a call was received by the Fayetteville

Fire Department shortly before 4 p.m. and

firefighters found smoke and fire in a meeting

room in the upper southwest corner of the church

building at 205 E. Stonewall Ave.

After extinguishing

the fire, investigators examining the scene

determined the cause to be arson.

A maintenance

worker saw a young boy running from the church at

the time the fire alarm sounded, police said. The

youth was identified and then questioned, with

his mother present, at which time he confessed to

starting the fire.

The child allegedly

set fire to some furniture in the meeting room,

and the result was approximately $5,000 in

damage. A juvenile complaint has been filed for

arson in the first degree.

<!--

-----------