A 19-year-old man from Mississippi appeared in court on Monday to face charges related to an alleged arson attack on a synagogue.

Axar.az informs, citing the US Department of Justice, a Mississippi man was arrested Saturday evening for charges related to his alleged arson of Beth Israel Congregation and the Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life building.

According to court documents, Stephen Spencer Pittman, 19, of Madison, Mississippi, used gasoline to set fire to the religious building in the early morning hours of Saturday, January 10, 2026. The fire resulted in extensive damage to a significant portion of the building and rendered it inoperable for an indefinite period time.

As a result of his crime, Pittman received burns to parts of his body.

“This disgusting act of anti-Semitic violence has no place in our country, and unlike the prior administration, this Department of Justice will not let anti-Semitism fester and flourish,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi. “I have directed my prosecutors to seek severe penalties for this heinous act and remain deeply committed to protecting Jewish Americans from hatred.”