North Carolina Woman Arrested And Charged, Accused Of Setting Fire To Lexington Church

LEXINGTON, NC – A woman has been arrested and charged after being accused of setting a church in Lexington on fire, according to arrest warrants.

On Saturday, Oct. 28, around 2:45 p.m., WXII 12 reports that during the Lexington’s 39th Annual BBQ Festival, the Lexington Fire Department responded to a structure fire involving Jesus Comes First Ministries, located at 1700 South Main St. A large column of smoke was visible during the response, and a second alarm was initiated.

Upon arrival, crews say they saw smoke coming from the rear of the building and immediately began working to extinguish the fire. Additional crews checked the interior for possible victims and checked if the fire had extended to other parts of the building.

The Lexington Fire Marshal’s Office assumed investigative responsibility. The Davidson County Fire Marshal’s Office, the NC Office of the State Fire Marshal, and the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms assisted with the investigation.

On Nov. 12, Aimee Lakey, 42, was arrested and charged with felony burning of a church. The arrest warrant stated that she “unlawfully, willfully, and feloniously did wantonly set fire to, burn, cause, to be burned Jesus Comes First Ministries.”

Lakey’s bond was set at $25,000.

The church also served as a food bank and had large portions of perishable foods to feed the needy. The structure sustained substantial smoke and water damage and is currently uninhabitable. There were no injuries.