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FBI interviews 65-year-old man accused of setting fire at Jewish cemetery

Posted at 11:41 PM, Oct 08, 2014
and last updated 2014-10-09 10:31:10-04

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HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — The FBI plans to interview a man arrested for setting fire to the chapel at a Jewish cemetery.

Idris Hamid, 65, was arrested following Monday night’s fire at Beth El Cemetery near Forest Lawn Cemetery, off Laburnum Avenue, in eastern Henrico.

Idris Hamid (PHOTO: Henrico Police)

Idris Hamid (PHOTO: Henrico Police)

“We did dispatch a full crew to the location. We did have fire on the exterior of the chapel building,” Henrico Fire spokesman Capt. Daniel Rosenbaum said. “It was a single-story chapel. The damage was minimal to the building.”

Rosenbaum said the chapel, which is used for funeral services, was empty when the fire started.