Man Arrested In Firebombing Of Church & Crime Spree Kidnapped 2 Teens In 2008

The convicted felon who called 9-1-1 to report three fires at a Falls Township church is now accused of starting them.

Police plan to charge John Paul Serina Jr., 33, of Falls, with arson and related offenses. Bucks County prosecutors and state parole officers were headed to Falls Township as of 10 a.m. Thursday to work on charging papers to file against the 33 year old.

The convicted felon is accused of causing more than $65,000 worth of damage throughout Falls Township and Tullytown since April.

On Thursday morning, police from Falls and Tullytown, along with the Falls fire marshal, announced Serina’s arrest. Police said the 33 year old was taken into custody peacefully by Tullytown officers after a person called authorities and said someone had fired a BB gun at them.

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

  

Ross Manders, pastor at Restoration Church in the Pinewood section, said Serina told him the day of the firebombing that he spotted the blaze and even tried to extinguish it.

“He told us how great it was to have a church there and all the good we’ve done,” the pastor said.

Ward said 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.

Falls and Tullytown police stepped up patrols in the Pinewood neighborhood that both municipalities share since the crime spree began. Doyle said he added undercover officers to the overnight shift this week in hopes of capturing the man.

Ward said Serina sung like a bird when asked about the crimes.

“He admitted to it all,” the lieutenant told LevittownNow.com.

The 33 year old did not give detectives a reason why he committed the crimes, but Ward said Serina indicated he was having some problems at home. During a perp walk outside court, Serina remained silent when asked by reporters why he committed the crimes.

Manders said he will 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. He said he worries the community still has fear in their hearts following the crimes.

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 officials will have to gather information and documents from, police said.

Serina is on a multi-year state parole, slated to end in 2025, for a 2008 booze-fueled kidnapping of two teenagers in Levittown. The kidnapping ended with Serina firing a handgun in the air and a police standoff on Post Lane. In the time since, Serina has remained quiet and only had a few traffic-related interactions with officers, police said.

Going forward, Manders said the church will continue to preach a message of “kindness and love.”

“This has actually emboldened us in some ways.”

Editor’s Note: All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The story was compiled using information from police and public court documents.