Man arrested after allegedly burning items in church then returning to demand back his pants

Police in Eugene, Oregon, arrested an arson suspect on Tuesday accused of burning items in a church then arguing with a worker about his pants which he claimed to have left there.

Officers responded to the call just after 7:00am at the Bethesda Lutheran Church after a worker said they saw the suspect running away from the church. By the time police got to the location, the suspect, Jason Duque, 29, had returned and was kicking on the door to the front of the church.



The officers attempted to detain Duque, who tried to flee from them. While trying to arrest the him, Duque struggled free and officers had to use pepper spray to subdue him. According to police, Duque had got into the church through a low-level window. Once inside, he burned multiple items in the church and destroyed other items in the church pantry.

A church employee saw a door to the church’s bell tower propped open and Duque leave while wearing a robe and cursing at the worker, before he returned demanding his pants, which he said he left in the bell tower. Duque faces charges including arson, burglary interfering with a peace officer and resisting arrest, and he is being kept in the Lane County Jail.