A man is facing charges of breaking into a downtown Salem church and starting a fire last month.
The Way Church was burglarized three separate times in February, the first being when someone broke the windows and entered the building, according to a Tuesday news release from the Salem Police Department.
In another incident, police say someone tried to set window coverings on fire, damaging the glass pane.
“Damage was also done to sound and computer equipment,” the news release said.
Officers arrested 31-year-old Victor Soseia Hachipan and booked him at the Marion County Jail Monday, the jail’s roster showed.
Hachipan was charged Tuesday with two counts of second-degree burglary and second-degree arson in Marion County Circuit Court.
The charges allege he entered the church at 676 Church St. N.E. on Feb. 14 and 20, intending to steal property worth at least $1,000 and $5,000, respectively. In the first instance, he is accused of starting a fire that damaged the building.
His residence is listed as a Portland homeless shelter.
Hachipan was arraigned Tuesday.
-Ardeshir Tabrizian
