Man accused of vandalizing three South Jersey churches

Gloucester Township Police have arrested a Deptford man suspected of vandalizing three Catholic churches in Camden and Gloucester Counties on Friday.

Peter Sirolli, 40, is charged with criminal mischief, arson, weapons offenses, and other offenses in connection with the vandalisms.

Just before 7:30 a.m. Friday, a witness saw a man later identified as Sirolli throw a rock at St. Teresa’s Church in Runnemede, police said. The witness followed the man as he fled the scene in a white Toyota pickup truck, and continued to update police.

About 10 minutes later, Sirolli allegedly arrived at St. Agnes Church in Blackwood, where police said the same witness saw him throw a brick through a window above the main entrance. He then allegedly drove to the nearby parish center and poured gasoline on the base of a metal flag pole before igniting it.

A maintenance supervisor at the parish complex also saw Sirolli light the flag pole on fire, police said.

A Gloucester Township police officer later spotted his vehicle on Black Horse Pike, and attempted to stop him, police said. Sirolli allegedly failed to stop, but later pulled into the parking of Laurelwood 7th Day Adventist Church in Deptford, where he was arrested without incident.

Following Sirolli’s arrest, police said they connected him to an earlier church vandalism. In that incident, which occurred at about 7:12 a.m. Friday, Sirolli allegedly lit a large wooden cross on fire in front of St. Patrick’s Church in Woodbury.

Sirolli is being held at Camden County Correctional Facility.