The Chinese national serving time for setting fire to a historic Alabama church is back behind bars after walking free from a federal prison in Connecticut. Xiaoqin Yan was on the loose for forty-five minutes before police took her back into custody. The FBI was notified of the incident and an investigation is underway. The Associated Press sent an email seeking comment from the attorney who had represented Yan in the Alabama case.
The 30-year-old woman is serving time for a gun charge and setting fire to the First Baptist Church in Montgomery in 2021. Xiaoqin has been at the low-security facility in Danbury since late last month, where she's serving over eight years for Possession of a Firearm by an Illegal Alien. Employees at the low-security prison were notified Tuesday night that a security device had been activated and an inmate had escaped. Local police found her at 7:45 p.m. The site of the attack was first opened in 1867, after the U.S. Civil War, to better serve black worshippers in Alabama’s capitol city.
Staff at the prison declined to comment on details of the escape, instead referring to the prison bureau's statement. Court records show Yan, who had overstayed her non-immigrant visa and wasn't legally allowed to have a gun, was also convicted at trial for arson.
The criminal complaint in the case says Xiaoqin was wearing a facemask while church services were happening. She was then seen lighting containers of gasoline in multiple places inside the church, which sustained significant fire damage. Federal prosecutors said Yan had multiple encounters with the church staff and exhibited unusual behavior prior to the episode.
