Man admits torching reservation church

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) -- A Cannonball man has pleaded guilty to burning down a church on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation.

Nineteen-year-old Phoenix Martinez was accused of torching the St. James Episcopal Church in Cannonball late last July. The church was destroyed.

U.S. Attorney Timothy Purdon says Martinez faces up to 25 years in prison when he's sentenced on Sept. 30 on an arson charge in federal court in Bismarck.

Create a More Connected Minnesota

MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.