Suspect tracked through cellphone, video footage

OPELOUSAS, La. (AP) – Court documents say investigators used video footage, cellphone tracking and a Walmart receipt to help identify the man they believed set fire to three black churches in Louisiana.

Holden Matthews, a 21-year-old white man, was arrested Wednesday in St. Landry Parish.

The affidavit filed with Matthews’ arrest warrant says a gas can recovered at one of the burned churches was sold at Walmart locations and the company’s investigators found that the same type of gas can, along with a lighter, were bought March 25 in Opelousas. Documents say the debit card used to buy the items belonged to Matthews.

The affidavit says “the purchase time on this receipt is less than three hours before the first church fire was reported.”

The document also says GPS tracking through cellphone tower data shows Matthews was in the area of all three church fires.

The documents say Matthews has been denied bond.