ACTION 8 UPDATE: Woman sentenced for setting fire inside First Baptist Church in Montgomery

ACTION 8 UPDATE: The woman convicted of setting fire inside the historic First Baptist Church in downtown Montgomery has now been sentenced.

Xiaoqin Yan received a sentence of eight and-a-half years after being convicted of arson last year.

The fire happened inside the church in September of 2021.  It left the church heavily damaged.

Arson Attempt at First Baptist Church Montgomery/Source: First Baptist Church Montgomery

Yan, described as a Chinese National, was also charged with possession of a gun by an illegal immigrant.

Prosecutors say surveillance video from the day before the fire, showed a woman carrying bags into the church during its Wednesday night service. They say just after 2AM the next morning, video showed the same woman removing silver containers from a bag and setting several fires.

Investigators say on several occasions before the fire, church workers encountered someone matching Yan’s description,  and one time that person was escorted off of the property due to odd behavior.