Man accused of setting historic Bushwick church on fire appears in Brooklyn Federal Court
John Jones, 24, appeared in Brooklyn Federal Court. He was not handcuffed during the hearing and was seen wearing dark pants with a black tank top and a dark button-up.
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The man accused of setting a historic Brooklyn church on fire faced a judge for the first time on Friday.
John Jones, 24, appeared in Brooklyn Federal Court. He was not handcuffed during the hearing and was seen wearing dark pants with a black tank top and a dark button-up. Jones is accused of setting the South Bushwick Reformed Church on fire on Juneteenth. The house of worship was a city landmark with a 175-year history.
Investigators released disturbing new details and photos about a notebook that they found during the arrest and said there were "highly concerning references to planned acts of violence."
According to prosecutors, one page had a chart on it with tally marks and categories like "murder them," "kill them" and "stab them."
Investigators added that the word "church" appeared several times on the page, which also included some misspellings.
Prosecutors said Jones admitted to attempting to burn down a second church, and he even expressed interest in setting fire to others.
Jones appeared to smile at one of his court-appointed attorneys as he left the courtroom.
The judge ordered Jones to be held until his trial. So far, the date has not been set.
If convicted, Jones faces five to 20 years in prison.
