Fire Set At Statue Of Jesus In St. Paul
ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) -- A statue of Jesus that St. Paul's City Council decided should be moved from a Mississippi River bluff was set on fire. It happened early Sunday morning in the 200 block of Isabel Street.
Someone took piles of wood, stacked it next to the statue and set it on fire.
Tuan Pham owns the statue. He believes it was arson and whoever did this has a political, religious and possible racist motive for setting fire to his statue of Jesus.
Bundles of wood, an aerosol can and matches were left behind by the person or persons responsible for setting fire to this marble statue of Jesus that overlooks the city of St. Paul.
"I really don't know, don't understand," said Tuan Pham.
He had the 7-foot white marble statue custom sculpted and shipped from his native Vietnam where the original 105-foot Christ of Vung Tao stands.
Tuan Pham was preparing for early mass when his wife noticed fire in their backyard.
"It burned over this one," said Tuan Pham. He also said the flames were intense.
His daughter took pictures while he fought to keep the fire away from his prayer garden. Firefighters arrived to put out the fire.
Later that day an investigator gathered evidence to try and figure out who did this and why.
"Nobody carries around an aerosol can and a box of matches. There's two piles of wood and it definitely took a little bit of time to bundle it up like that. So they must have thought this out beforehand," said Huy Pham, Tuan Pham's son.
Huy Pham is concerned because not only was the statue attacked.
"There were some stone structures that were roughly some five feet away from the house that were pushed over and so we definitely feel that we're afraid right now. We're not sure how far they're willing to take this," said Huy Pham.
The St. Paul City Council decided the statue had to be moved because of an ordinance that requires a 40-foot setback from the bluff's edge. That decision has this family convinced that this was motivated by ignorance.
"I personally believe it is a hate crime. There is really no reason why you would burn a statue of Jesus. It's a religious figure everybody knows that," said Huy Pham.
He does not know if the statue can be saved. It's discolored at the base and has streaks of soot all over it.
Investigators have not determined if this is arson. The family was told police would come out to the house and talk with them on Monday.
