Taylor police have arrested a suspect connected to the fire that burned the planned Dr. James Lee Dickey Museum Sunday morning.
On Tuesday, July 12, police arrested James Paul Gogolewski, 47, of Taylor, and charged him with arson, a second-degree felony.
According to the arrest affidavit, Gogolewski told his father he “had to burn down that Pagan church.” The Dickey home and future museum was never a church of any kind.
On Saturday, July 9, at 11:42 p.m., officers responded to a call for suspicious circumstances in the 1700 block of Mallard Lane. Gogolewski’s mother told police he left with a can of butane fuel. Officers did not locate him at the time.
Later that night, an officer saw Gogolewski under the bridge in the 1300 block of north Main Street, but quickly lost sight of him.
According to the Taylor Fire Department, at 3:32 a.m., firefighters responded to a call regarding a structure fire. When they arrived around 3:40 a.m., firefighters found the historic former home of Dickey fully engulfed in flames. Fire crews from Taylor, Round Rock, the Hutto Emergency Services District (ESD), firefighters from ESD 10 in Coupland and Thrall, and volunteers from the Avery-Pickett Volunteer Fire Department attempted to contain the fire, but the structure was burned to the ground.
According to the affidavit, Gogolewski was spotted about a block away from the fire and was questioned by police. Officers noticed his hand was freshly cut. He told police he did not know how he cut himself, and that he was just walking.
The affidavit said Gogolewski was “answering questions that were asked of him with strange answers.”
When asked if he had any weapons, Gogolewski said no. He then pulled out an orange torch lighter, a broken glass pipe and pieces of paper. Gogolewski was later released from the scene.
According to the affidavit, later that morning, Gogolewski went home and asked his father for a ride to pick up his belongings. His father said Gogolewski smelled like smoke as if he had been near a wood fire.
Gogolewski directed his father to the area of the fire, and Gogolewski went towards the trees behind the former museum. He returned with a few clothes and some rocks.
As they passed the remains of the museum, Gogolewski said, “I had to burn down that Pagan church,” according to the affidavit.
Gogolewski’s father asked if he burned the building and Gogolewski responded, “Yes, it was a Pagan church and I had to burn it down.”
The affidavit said later that day while eating, Gogolewski’s mother heard him say, “I burned down that Pagan church. I had to.”
Commander Joseph Branson said the quick response from patrol officers was vital in making an arrest.
"This was good police work," he said. "They interviewed him on scene and that led to an investigation. We quickly were able to get a probable cause warrant and make an arrest (Monday)."
Gogolewski was charged with arson, a second-degree felony. If convicted, he could face up to $10,000 in fines, up to 20 years in prison or both.
