Arsonist strikes Alamogordo church and rec center

ONE IS A PLACE OF WORSHIP — THE OTHER A PLACE OF RECREATION BUT BOTH BECAME TARGETS TODAY OF AN ARSONIST SHELTON DODSON IS HERE WITH THE STORY SHELTON THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB AND THE WESLEY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH STAND SIDE-BY-SIDE IN ALAMOGORDO BUT NOW THEY HAVE AN UNWANTED LINK — AS BOTH THEIR PROPERTIES WERE INTENTIONALLY SET ON FIRE THIS MORNING THE BUILDINGS THEMSELVES WERE SPARED BUT THREE SHEDS AND TWO VANS WERE ALL GUTTED BY FIRE EARLY THIS MORNING Very extensive damage to the interior From the outside it doesn t look like much but on the inside there s a lot of damage To go and destroy property where no one has inflicted any injury on them or there is no cause for it it saddened me that people have to do this THE SHEDS — TWO OF WHICH BELONGED TO THE CHURCH — WERE FILLED WITH LAWN MOWERS GARDEN TOOLS AND OTHER VALUABLE SUPPLIES BUT THE BIG LOSS ARE THE TWO VANS WHICH ARE CRUCIAL TO GETTING HUNDREDS OF KIDS TO THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB EACH DAY We use them for transportation The kids who go to other schools ride them to go to the Boys and Girls Club INVESTIGATORS SPENT MUCH OF THE MORNING LOOKING FOR CLUES — HOPING THE ARSONIST LEFT BEHIND KEY FINGERPRINTS OR OTHER EVIDENCE IN THE MEANTIME THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB DIRECTOR SAYS HE WILL RENT MORE VANS TO KEEP KIDS COMING TO EVENTS TRYING TO DO WHAT S BEST EVEN WHEN SOMEONE ELSE WAS AT THEIR WORST They probably need to talk to somebody They probably need to talk to a counselor or someone so they can get their issues out of why they would attack and innocent church and a Boys and Girls Club DAMAGE ESTIMATES ARE NOT IN — BUT THEY WILL CERTAINLY BE SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS THE CHURCH WAS ALSO BROKEN INTO AND SOME ELECTRONICS ARE MISSING