Free Republic

John David Corey, aka “Joker,” is facing two felony counts of arson of an inhabited structure and one count each of arson during a state of emergency, first-degree residential burglary and possession of flammable material, the DA’s office reported. Prosecutors say Corey broke into the historic mission and set it on fire. The early morning fire, which broke out at the 249-year-old church... July 11, 2020, burned the roof of the mission and much of the Catholic church’s interior. Firefighters from the San Gabriel Fire Department responded to the blaze that day just after 4:30 a.m. In December 2020, crews...

A raging fire tore through the church at Mission San Gabriel Arcángel early Saturday, July 11, destroying almost all of the 215-year-old building that is an icon in the small Los Angeles County town.

A fire broke out at the San Gabriel Mission early Saturday and burned the roof and much of the church’s interior, officials said. Authorities have not determined what caused the blaze at the 249-year-old church on 428 S. Mission Drive. The San Gabriel Fire Department received a call about the fire at around 4:30 a.m. and arrived at the scene to find flames through the roof, Capt. Antonio Negrete told KTLA. The crews called for additional units after about 5 minutes, Negrete said. Some 50 firefighters responded to the location, and they struggled as parts of the roof began to...

A fire broke out at the San Gabriel Mission and completely burned the church’s roof early Saturday, officials said. Authorities have not said what may have caused the blaze at the 249-year-old church on 428 S. Mission Drive. Video recorded before daylight shows dark smoke rising from the flames. Officials did no report any injuries. The church, founded in 1771, was the fourth of 21 missions established by the priest Junipero Serra, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Two members of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors have introduced a proposal to add the image of a cross in the county's official seal -- a move likely to reignite a contentious debate that sparked a multi-year legal challenge nearly a decade ago. Supervisors Michael Antonovich and Don Knabe filed a motion Tuesday to add a cross to the depiction of historic San Gabriel Mission on the emblem that appears on county property, The Los Angeles Times reported. The seal once featured a tiny gold cross above an image of the Hollywood Bowl. The cross was justified as...