On April 11, 2026, at approximately 5:25 p.m., officers from the Steelton Borough Police Department and members of the Steelton Fire Department were dispatched to the area of North 2nd Street and Pine Street in response to a report of a cross on fire.

Upon arrival, emergency personnel observed the wooden cross located in front of St. John Lutheran Church actively burning from the base to approximately three feet upward. The cross, which stands approximately 20 feet tall, holds historical significance to the church and its congregation.

Witnesses provided officers with a description of the suspect and further reported that the suspect was observed spraying an unknown substance on the cross before igniting it.

Officers quickly canvassed the surrounding area and located a male matching the description, who was identified as Dequire Anthony Cannon.

Cannon was taken into custody without incident. Criminal charges have been filed charging Cannon with Arson, Institutional Vandalism-Worship, Risking Catastrophe, Criminal Mischief, and Possession of Instruments of a Crime. Cannon has been remanded to Dauphin County Prison on a $25,000 bail, and is also being held on a probation detainer and a warrant for an additional charge of arson from Chester County

The Steelton Borough Police Department thanks the community members who promptly reported this incident and provided information that assisted responding officers in making a swift arrest.