Man jailed for arson in Morton church fire

A 19-year-old Morton man has been charged with arson in a fire that destroyed First United Methodist Church in Morton on Sunday.

Aaron Angel Trinidad was arraigned for arson and burglary of a building. Justice of the Peace  Donna Schmidt set bonds at  $175,000.

A sheriff’s deputy arrested Trinidad at gunpoint. He was seen throwing items out through a window moments before he was arrested.

The suspect was not a member of the church.

An investigator with the Texas Fire Marshal’s Office examined the fire scene on Monday. No accelerant was found and the cause of the fire is still under investigation, said Sheriff Raymond Weber.

It could be Thursday before investigators determine how the fire was started.