Arizona Man Gets More Than 36 Years In Prison for Burning Down Two Churches
Eric Duane Ridenour of Douglas, Ariz., will serve 36.5 years in federal prison for committing the hate crime of burning two churches.
The two churches targeted in the attack, First Presbyterian Church and Saint Stephen’s Episcopal Church, were in the historical district of Church Square in Douglas, Ariz., a small town on Arizona’s border about two hours south of Tuscon, according to the DOJ press release.
Four Churches, One Square
Church Square is an intersection of four churches, each belonging to a different denomination: Methodist, Southern Baptist, Episcopal and Presbyterian. It is considered the only one of its kind in America. Saint Stephen’s Episcopal Church regularly hosted Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, and First Presbyterian Church served as a shelter for up to 50 asylum seekers who crossed the border from Mexico.
On May 22, 2023, the Douglas Fire Department was dispatched to Saint Stephen’s, as witnesses reported smoke coming from the roof, according to the complaint. While the firefighters were trying to control the fire at Saint Stephen’s, they saw smoke rise from the First Presbyterian adjacent to Saint Stephen’s and began fighting the fires there, too.
Once the fires were out, ATF Special Agents, the Douglas Police Department and the Douglas Fire Department investigated the two fires. They found that the fire’s damage was mainly centered at the altar of the First Presbyterian Church, according to the complaint. There was also a bottle of lighter fluid found behind the offering table, and they found what they thought to be lighters in the ash.
Surveillance Footage
Investigators also looked at the surveillance footage from several cameras pointed at the property, according to the complaint. Cameras recorded a blue Pontiac Azatee and captured a person getting out of the car at about 10:40 am with a plastic bag in his hand.
He walked in the direction of Saint Stephen’s and out of frame; he then returned to frame a few minutes later and walked toward First Presbyterian, according to the complaint. As he drives away, smoke can be seen on the video rising from Saint Stephan’s unoccupied attached two-story residence.
The car’s license plate number was captured on video, and investigators found that the vehicle was registered to Eric Ridenour, according to the complaint.
Search Warrant
At 6:30 pm the next day, AFT special agents and the FBI went to Ridenour with a search warrant. The investigators brought a canine, “Zeta,” with them that could detect accelerants.
Zeta detected accelerants on Ridenour’s shoes and pants that matched that at the scene of the crime, and the investigators also found a green hat matching what the man had worn on the surveillance video, according to the complaint.
Investigators also obtained surveillance from Walmart showing Ridenour before the fires were set, and Ridenour was wearing the same hat, pants, and shoes they identified on the videos of the churches.
Although firefighters successfully put out the first fires, the church fires continued to re-ignite into the evening and the next day, causing extensive damage to both churches, including the collapse of the roofs, according to the complaint.
Motivation for Crimes: Didn’t Like Politics
Ridenour was charged with hate crimes on Oct. 5, 2023, as the investigators discovered that Ridenour started the fires because he didn’t like their progressive practices, such as allowing LGBTQIA+ members and women to serve in leadership roles, according to the Oct. 6, 2023, DOJ press release.
In addition to his 36-year sentence, Ridenour is ordered to pay $3,302,893.13 in restitution, according to the judgment documents.
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