Two fires were set purposely on Sunday on the property of Judah Temple Ministries, a 123-year-old predominantly Black church, in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, according to the county fire department. Now, authorities say they are exploring the incident as a possible hate crime.

Flames were reported at the small church on Snug Harbor Road just before 5:30 a.m., before firefighters responded to a fire in the church vestibule. Firefighters were able to control the fire quickly, leaving only minor damage to the church, Anne Arundel County Fire Department Lt. Sheldon Neal told WTOP.

Shortly after the flames were extinguished, a neighbor told authorities that they had seen a person throw something into the church and run away. Then the neighbor says they saw flames.

Another fire was set on a headstone in the church’s cemetery, Captain Russ Davies, a spokesperson for the fire department, tells DCist/WAMU.

Authorities have not yet reported who the person was or what was allegedly thrown into the church. Investigators have concluded that a burglary and arson occurred, though they have offered no further details.

Davies says that with the evidence and circumstances surrounding the vandalism, as well as the building’s status as a house of worship, authorities will explore it as a possible hate crime.

According to a news release from the fire department, estimated loss was about $10,000, which includes fire damage, damage from the burglary, and damage to headstones. No one was in the church at the time.

Davies says the Anne Arundel Police Department and fire department have the same person of interest. Officials say they are looking for a male suspect with a medium complexion, approximately six feet tall and thin to average build. The man was last seen wearing a green jacket, dark/camouflage pants, and a head wrap or covering.

The original property of Judah Temple Ministries was first purchased in 1867, according to the church’s website. A church was built there in the 1890s. Besides adding brick in the 1950s, the original structure remains intact plus original pews, floors, stained glass windows, and steeple.

The earliest burial in the cemetery dates to 1827 (likely a reinterment) and holds the remains of descendants of a famed Chesapeake Bay waterman Captain Salem Avery.

DCist/WAMU has reached out to the church about the vandalism.