Earlier this week, a synagogue in Duluth, Minnesota was set ablaze. Now a suspect is in custody, facing charges of arson.
City of Duluth officials announced Sunday the name of the man arrested in connection with the fire that destroyed Adas Israel Congregation synagogue.
Matthew James Amiot, 36, of Duluth was arrested Friday and is being held at St. Louis County Jail on a felony charge of first-degree arson.
Tellingly, police have yet to rule out the prospect that this was a hate crime.
Amiot has previous convictions for misdemeanor shoplifting and trespassing. Duluth Police Chief Mike Tusken said Amiot has no permanent address. Court records show Amiot has a history of convictions for shoplifting and trespassing.
The city of Duluth held a Sunday morning news conference regarding the arrest and the ongoing investigation.
"Based on all the information that I have reviewed, that I've read and the investigators I have talked to, at this moment in time there is no reason to believe that this is a bias or hate crime," Tusken said. "This may change as this investigation progresses."
But Tusken stressed, "this investigation is open and active."
Given the circumstances—a synagogue burned to the ground in an act of arson—it would be ludicrous to rule out the possibility that this was a hate crime. For that reason, it’s hard to understand why this hasn’t gotten more national attention. I only learned about this via one of my Facebook groups.
This certainly bears watching.