Homeless allegedly targeting historic Fresno church, members say

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Members of a historic Fresno church which was intentionally set on fire are now dealing with a homeless population who they say keep targeting their building.

Church members are asking city leaders to step in and help but at least one city leader believes this is an issue they could combat themselves.

Action News cameras caught the flames six months ago which tore through the roof of a nearly 100 year old building. Police arrested a homeless man for setting the fire but church-goers say other homeless people keep vandalizing their historic building.

"They break windows and they steal things. We run them off and call the police department but it's constantly reoccurring. The problem is bigger now since they dismantled the homeless camps in Fresno," said church administrator, Catrina Draper.

Draper has seen people set up overnight camps behind bushes. She said, "There's been a full house set up with a mattress and a little table for their toiletries."

The congregation has asked them to leave, but say they keep coming back. So members reached out to city council's Oliver Baines for help but his chief of staff told Action News, the church could be doing more to try to solve the problem on the privately owned property.

"There are some things they can do to harden the property or harden the target in order to make sure it becomes less of a place to congregate," said Gregory Barfield.

Barfield showed us tow letter his office sent to the church after receiving complaints from neighbors. His staff wants a fence installed on the site. But the congregation says they can't afford it. Now both sides are planning a meeting to resolve the issue.

"In this case it's really about the church sitting down with their neighbors and our office and we have offered to broker that dialogue and we have been yet to get to that point," said Barfield.

City leaders also added that code enforcement is now investigating to find out whether the church, which is considered a historic building, is being properly taken care of.