A man is behind bars in the Marion County Jail after crashing his vehicle through the front doors of Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Ocala and setting it on fire while parishioners were inside.
Marion County sheriff’s deputies and crews from Marion County Fire Rescue were called to the church, located at 6455 State Road 200, at 7:35 a.m. after a 911 caller reported the vehicle crash and fire in the lobby area of the building.
Crews from Friendship Fire Station #21 arrived on scene at 7:40 a.m., followed closely by Liberty Fire Station #32. The firefighters made an aggressive interior attack and had the flames under control within seven minutes of arrival.
The man, whose name hasn’t yet been released, led sheriff’s deputies on a high-speed chase before eventually being taken into custody. No serious injuries were reported in the incident.
