Anthony Dillon, Jr., Arson, Louisiana 2026

A devastating act of arson has shaken the community of Columbia, Louisiana, where the only Catholic church in Caldwell Parish was destroyed the Friday before Holy Week. Anthony Dillon, Jr., 19, and James Dale Smith IV, 21, both of Columbia, have been charged with arson in connection with the fire.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana announced the charges on April 1, 2026. If convicted, Dillon and Smith face a mandatory minimum of five years in federal prison with a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, three years of federal supervision, and a fine of $250,000. The charges are a serious blow to the community, where worshiping at the Catholic church was a fundamental part of the parish’s identity.

According to court documents, Dillon and Smith were residing in a home that was stealing electricity from the church and sold a broken television set to another Columbia resident in the days leading up to the arson. After the church disrupted the electricity theft and the men’s customer contacted them about the broken television, Dillon and Smith showed up to the church in the early hours of March 27, 2026, breaking a window with a baseball bat to gain entry to the church.

After ransacking the church’s electronic equipment, including the theft of at least three televisions and a sound system, the men set the church ablaze. When law enforcement arrived after a 911 call reported the church to be on fire, they found the church burning down. By the time the fire was extinguished, the church’s interior was largely destroyed.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives is investigating this case with assistance from the Louisiana State Fire Marshal, the Caldwell Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Joanne Henry-Mills.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The charges against Dillon and Smith are a serious reminder that the rule of law applies to all individuals, regardless of their background or circumstances.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana is committed to seeking justice for the residents of Caldwell Parish and to protecting the rights of all individuals in the community. The case is a stark reminder of the importance of respecting the rights of others and the consequences of violating those rights.

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