San Francisco Armenian church leaders suspect arson in fire that damaged Sunday school classrooms, offices

The leaders of St. Gregory Armenian Apostolic Church posted on Facebook that the building adjacent to the main church in Laurel Heights was set ablaze by arsonists at around 4 a.m.

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“I can’t feel safe right now because of what I’ve seen I mean I was in tears when I came this morning it’s awful. Everything my desk is gone!” said Seta Tchakerian who has worked inside the building for 15 years. Pictures of her late husband were lost in the fire.

“The building housed Vasbouragan Hall, as well as offices for St. Gregory Armenian Church and various organizations,” the church board of trustees said in a statement. “The San Francisco Fire Department responded immediately, however, the building has suffered a great loss.”

This follows an attack on the Krouzian-Zekarian Vasbouragan Armenian School and the adjacent community center in July.

“We think that there are people that don’t like the Armenians and somehow through their hate this is the way they take their revenge,” says church chairman Rostom Aintablian. Aintablian went on to say that the church is offering a 25-thousand dollar reward to anyone with information that will help catch and convict a person who may have been involved in starting the fire.