NEW BRITAIN, Conn. — As an arson suspect who allegedly set fire to two houses of worship in New Britain was arraigned Monday, FOX61 has learned new and bizarre details about what may have motivated Kimorah Parker.
Her former friends told FOX61 that dark forces may be to blame. They claim Parker was hijacked by the demonic realm.
“I didn’t know that she was going to become this wicked. And that’s the word for it, wicked,” remarked Luis Malave of New Britain.
Caleb Newburry of Bristol added, “Her as a person, she started changing. physically, mentally and we distanced ourselves.”
Her former friends say Parker recently descended down a dark path of black magic and ritual sacrifice.
“I hope she gets help,” said Newburry.
Parker’s social media page depicts what appears to be strange spiritual entities drawn on walls.
She also allegedly believes, “That she is Ezriel. She is the new God,” said Malave.
On Monday, Parker appeared virtually in New Britain Superior Court for an arraignment. She is charged with arson of the Tapherith Israel Synagogue and St. Matthew Lutheran Church. She is also charged with the burglary of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church.
“Who does something like that? Churches out of all things?” remarked Newburry.
St. Matthew suffered little damage but the same can’t be said for the historic Tapherith Israel Synagogue. Michele Joyce is a longtime member and her grandparents were some of the founders of the synagogue.
“The building holds a lot of very special memories for me…It was a blow, it was devastating just to visualize the damage,” said Joyce.
Parker was deemed such a threat to the community by the judge that she is being held on a $250,000 bond. She will be back in court on March 28. In the meantime, the FBI will be weighing possible federal charges.
The warrant for Parker’s arrest details how police were able to identify her as a suspect based on area surveillance footage, a glove that K9 dogs traced back to Parker’s scent, and various fire-starting materials and items that were allegedly stolen from the synagogue that were found in Parker’s pockets.
Although she is only charged in connection to arson and burglaries at three New Britain churches, the warrant says she is also a person of interest in other similar incidents at the house of worship in recent days.
Matt Caron is a reporter at FOX61 News. He can be reached at mcaron@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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