SPRINGFIELD — A suspect in a trio of fires set at Martin Luther King Jr. Community Presbyterian Church last month also went on a seemingly random tire-slashing spree in the city around the same time, according to police reports.
The blazes at the primarily Black church at 14 Concord Terrace drew an intense law enforcement response after a fourth fire on Dec. 28 caused extensive damage. The burns were fueled by wood pallets and cardboard, court records show.