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College Students Arrested In Arsons

U.S. law enforcement officials announced this week that three Birmingham college students have been arrested in connection with a recent string of church arsons. These fires destroyed or damaged nine rural churches in Alabama last month. Federal law enforcement officers say the two arrested were students at Birmingham-Southern College, and the third person being sought was described as a student at another Birmingham school.

Investigators have said they don`t know a motive, but there is no racial pattern. Five of the churches had white congregations and five black. While all were Baptist, that is the dominant faith in the region and agents were uncertain if that particular faith was a factor.

According to reports, the officials say the three are being charged with conspiracy and individual counts in the arsons at five Bibb County churches and four in west Alabama. All nine churches were Baptist and mostly located in isolated areas. The five in Bibb County, south of Birmingham, burned early February 3. The four in west Alabama were found ablaze early February 7.