Calgary police seek man with information on church arson

Calgary police are looking for help to identify a man they believe has information on a church arson in southeast Calgary earlier this year.

On Sunday, July 4, witnesses called emergency services at about 7:20 p.m. afer seeing flames come from the Calgary Vietnamese Alliance Church, also known as the House of Prayer Alliance Church, on the 4900 block of Forego Avenue S.E.

Calgary Fire Department responded and quickly extinguished the fire, but the building took on “significant damage,” according to a release from the Calgary Police Service.

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The CPS arson unit started investigating the incident and spoke with several witnesses and reviewed CCTV from the area.

That investigation came up with police identifying the man they believe has information about the arson. Police describe him as being unshaven with tattoos on his hands, wearing a black jacket, black pants and grey fingerless gloves.

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Police are asking anyone with information about this man to call 403-266-1234 or by contacting Crime Stoppers, citing case #21254773/3940.

Arson investigators also explored possible connections between that church fire and other incidents of church vandalism in the city, but determined the church fire was unrelated.

Calgary police said the thorough nature of arson investigations as well as the identification and interview of another individual in CCTV footage resulted in this new information being released late in the year.