The man suspected of being involved in setting the fire to the outdoor altar behind the Church of St. James in Medjugorje was arrested in the Ljubuški area on Tuesday, Bljesak.info has learned.
“A person who is linked to the commission of criminal acts in the area of Medjugorje was arrested in the area of West Herzegovina County,” Ilijana Miloš, spokesperson for the Ministry of the Interior of the HNŽ, confirmed to Bljesak.info.
According to unofficial information so far, the man was found and detained in the town of Cerno, where he was held by locals until the police arrived.
This is a person who was filmed by surveillance cameras near the Church of St. James. The footage shows a man who approached the outdoor altar at 4:46 a.m., doused the area with flammable liquid, caused a fire, and then walked away.
Let us recall that several religious locations in Medjugorje were vandalized on the night from Monday to Tuesday. Statues of Our Lady and other symbols were damaged, and various inscriptions were written on the Apparition Hill.
A report of damage to the statue of Our Lady on Podbrdo was received on Tuesday at 4:30 a.m., while shortly thereafter, at 5 a.m., a fire broke out on the outdoor altar behind the Church of St. James. A police investigation and criminal investigation are ongoing.
