Police leading the suspect from court.
Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
A 33-year-old Falls Township man accused of a vandalism spree that involved firebombing a church waived his right to a preliminary hearing on Wednesday.
John Paul Serina Jr., 33, of Falls, waived charges of arson, criminal mischief, reckless burning of an unoccupied structure and various related offenses onto trial before District Judge Jan Vislosky. He remains in county lockup unable to post bail.
Falls police noted in court papers that Serina, a convicted felon, was arrested with help from Tullytown police after they received a report someone had a pellet gun fired at them in the early morning hours of June 11.
Here’s a list of recent incidents Serina is alleged to have committed:
- April 19 – Arson and firebombing of the Restoration Church in the Pinewood section of Levittown
- May 16 – 33 tires slashed in the Pinewood section
- May 21 – Vandalism at Walt Disney Elementary School and the township pool in Pinewood
- June 9 – Vandalism at Walt Disney Elementary School
- June 10 – Vandalism to the Pinewood pool
- June 11 – Fired a pellet gun at a person and instead struck a parked car
Lt. Hank Ward said in June that Serina was developed as a suspect early on. Grainy surveillance video showed a physical attribute that investigators used to connect the crimes to the 33-year-old. Tullytown Chief of Police Daniel Doyle said his officers also had evidence that connected the man to some of the crimes.
Serina did not give detectives a reason why he committed the crimes, but Ward said Serina indicated he was having some problems at home.
Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
Pastor Ross Manders of Restoration Church, the one that was firebombed, said in June that he would be able to forgive the man that displaced his congregation for weeks, caused the smoky fire that destroyed the toys that belonged to their daycare and will cause their insurance company to pay out at least $65,000.
Manders told LevittownNow.com he remembered Serina after arriving to the fire-damaged church. He said Serina told him the day of the firebombing that he spotted the blaze and even tried to extinguish it.
The April 24 fires at the church destroyed a wooden cross and play equipment outside. A bathroom window was smashed and a homemade firebomb was thrown inside the building. By the time firefighters arrived, the flames were put down and the firebomb did not do as much damage as it could have.
Through the various crimes Serina is accused of, there are 52 victims, police said.
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