LEHIGH ACRES, Fla. — A massive fire that destroyed a church in Lehigh Acres last month has been deemed arson, and now investigators have are looking for someone who may have started it.
The below images were released from church surveillance video.
The church's pastor Zulma Soba says she still can't believe her eyes almost a month after her church caught on fire.
"It felt that I was just in a valley of shadow of death. I was just shaking. It was unbelievable," Soba explained.
Christ at the Cross Roads Church sits right at the intersection of Lee Boulevard and Homestead Road, a very popular Lehigh Acres intersection.
A massive hole in the church's roof is a reminder of a fire that started in the choir room and destroyed the chapel on January 26.
Pastor Soba gave Fox 4 an inside look at the damage. Debris everywhere, nearly everything burnt, including most of the attic.
See what remains of the church in Lehigh Acres Community Correspondent Ella Rhoades report below:
Lehigh Acres Community Correspondent Ella Rhoades spent the last month checking in with the State Fire Marshal for updates on what caused this fire.
Fox 4 was the first to report that the State Fire Marshal opened a criminal investigation into what happened and said someone intentionally started this fire.
Surveillance video shared from the the Fire Marshal showed someone dressed in dark clothing near the church at the time of the fire.
That's the person investigators said they want to find.
Pastor Soba said, "We're just praying for justice...It's an act of evil. We are under attack. We just have to pray and just rebuild."
Another Lehigh church fire happened less than a mile from this location at Victory Church last November.
According to a report Fox 4 obtained from the State Fire Marshal, that investigation's closed.
The cause? Arson, but, in the report, investigators said there's limited evidence.
However, they told Fox 4 the two cases are not related.
For now, services continue for Christ at the Cross Roads Church inside of their fellowship hall as they plan to move forward.
"We're just gonna take it as new and then just start all over again," Soba said.
Right now there's a $3,000 cash reward as investigators continue looking for tips in this case.
Call 1-800-NO-ARSON, if you have any information that can help or SWFL Crimestoppers.
Original reporting 2/24/25:
A massive fire that destroyed a church in Lehigh Acres has been deemed arson, and now investigators have released images of a person of interest.
In late January, the devastating fire destroyed the choir room and a chapel at Christ at the Crossroads church in Lehigh Acres.
WATCH the surveillance video here in Lehigh Acres Community Correspondent Ella Rhoades' report:
Investigators working to determine cause of church fire in Lehigh Acres
Monday, state investigators from the Florida Department of Financial Services, Criminal Investigators Division, told Fox 4 surveillance footage from the church captured an unidentified individual wearing dark clothing near the property at the time of the fire.
Anyone with information on this individual’s identity is urged to contact the Arson Tip Hotline at 1-877-No Arson or SWFL Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-TIPS.
