Thieves Rob Church During Praise & Worship

NACOGDOCHES, TX (KTRE) - How low can one go? Someone apparently during the middle of morning worship service had their mind on something other than ‘praise and worship,' according to a Nacogdoches Police report.

While church members worshipped close by, thieves were brazenly helping themselves to the Sunday morning offerings at Christian Life Center Church.

The theft occurred shortly after the offering plate had been passed around and the money secured in a strong box in the business office. It has been determined that the amount of money taken was less than $500, but that's not the disturbing part said Sergeant Greg Sowell with the Nacogdoches Police Department. He said the fact that someone had the nerve to take the church's money bag at all is unsettling.

"It looks like someone took the bank bag between 11:40 and 12 noon. That's pretty low and pretty bold to take money from the church," Sergeant Greg Sowell with the Nacogdoches Police Department said. "We've assigned an investigator to the case." At this time, there are no suspects.

Police are encouraging anyone with information that might help solve this case to call Crime Stoppers at 936-560-INFO.

Church Employee Stabbed

TOLEDO, OH (WTOL) - A church employee was stabbed Saturday evening around 7:45 p.m. at Central United Methodist Church in the 2100 block of Collingwood Blvd.

Custodian Anthony Leno was stabbed twice while he took a quick break outside.

"We believe two occupants asked Tony for directions," said Jack Lindberg, a member of the congregation. "Tony, being the guy he is, walked to the car to give them directions. At that point he was stabbed."

Church security guard Anthony Bell knows Leno well. He says it was upsetting to find out what happened to a friend and says the crime is a reflection of the community today.

"It's a bad neighborhood," Bell said. "To have a security guard at the church lets you know it is a sign of the times."

While it may be a sign of the times, by chance Sunday's sermon was entitled: "Facing our Fears," a lesson planned months earlier, but fitting during this difficult time.

"We should be wary, but at the same time we want to be a place where we can project enough love that we can drive some of that hatred and hurt and pain away that makes people act like that," Rev. Robert Anderson said.

Before service members held hands and prayed for their fellow family member, a member they say means so much to the church.

"Without him this doesn't happen. It took four people to get the church ready this morning in what he does by himself. I guess that tells you it all," Lindberg said.

Leno is expected to be okay.

His attacker is described as a Middle Eastern man in his 30s, around 5' 8" and around 160 lbs with black hair and brown eyes.

Witnesses say he drove off in a green Chevy Blazer.

Call CrimeStopper at 419-255-1111 if you have information that can help police.

Copyright 2010 WTOL. All rights reserved.

One Injured in Church Shooting

Springfield, SC (WLTX) -- Orangeburg County Officials are searching for the person they say shot
a gun outside of a church Sunday afternoon injuring another person.

At approximately 1 PM, Officials say they responded to a shots fired call after someone starting shooting
a gun outside of Oakey Spring Baptist Church. Officials say there was a physical outside the
church between two men resulting in shots being fired. Investigators are still working to confirm the identity
of the gunman.

One person was injured during the altercation with non-life threatening injuries. Witnesses told News19 the church had planned
to hold a meeting at 1 PM to vote on the church's current pastor.

Officials are still investigating.

Church volunteer faces allegation of child molestation

The Edmonds man was a volunteer at a church where he allegedly fondled an 8-year-old girl during a class.

By Diana Hefley
Herald Writer

EDMONDS — A volunteer magician and puppeteer who worked with a children’s ministry at Westgate Chapel in Edmonds is accused of fondling a young parishioner during Sunday school and sneaking his camera up the skirts of unsuspecting girls and women.

Prosecutors on Tuesday charged Terry Jensen, 55, of Edmonds, with first-degree child molestation and two counts of attempted voyeurism.

The incidents date back to 2006, when an 8-year-old girl reported that Jensen fondled her three times during a class, according to court papers. The girl told her mother, who reported the incident to church officials.

Jensen allegedly apologized to the girl during a meeting facilitated at the time by the church and attended by the girl, her mother and the church’s leadership team, Snohomish County deputy prosecutor Adam Cornell wrote.

The girl reported that Jensen “got down on one knee” and asked the girl for another chance, court papers said.

Church officials on Tuesday said that Jensen didn’t confess to any criminal activity during the meeting. Church leaders know that they must report any allegations of abuse against children and would have called police if they believed a crime occurred, Cindi Bowen, an assistant pastor at the church, said.

A church elder and others had no information at the time that Jensen had fondled the girl, Bowen said. Instead, there was a plausible explanation for why the girl may have misunderstood the situation. He apologized, suggesting there had been miscommunication that made the girl feel uncomfortable. The family seemed satisfied with the explanation and remained active with the church, Bowen said.

Church officials did go to police in January, when Jensen was confronted again with allegations of sexual impropriety with parishioners.

Prosecutors allege that Jensen used a small camera to take pictures up the skirts of women and girls at church and on business trips.

Jensen told Westgate Chapel officials he used the church’s camera to take pictures underneath the skirts of some of the teenage puppet workers behind the stage, Cornell wrote.

Two women also reported that Jensen used a small camera that looked like a pen to take pictures of them during business trips.

Edmonds police seized two of Jensen’s computers. They weren’t able to find any images that pertained to the allegations against him. Jensen, Cornell wrote, destroyed a third computer and threw it in the garbage. Investigators were unable to locate the computer, Cornell wrote.

Jensen was removed as a volunteer when the allegations surfaced this year, Bowen said. He had been a volunteer since 2003 and underwent a criminal background screening.

Guns In Church

The Internet is abuzz today over word that Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal has singed that allows people with concealed-weapons permits to bring weapons into churches and other houses of worship.

The bill does not allow people to simply walk into a church packing heat, however. According to the Times-Picayune in New Orleans, individuals must pass a background check and undergo eight hours of training per year if they want to bring weapons to houses of worship; the idea seems to be that they would serve something like a de facto security force.

In addition, the head of the religious institution - be it a church, synagogue, mosque or anything else - must announce to congregants that the weapons are being wielded for security purposes.

The bill, which will reportedly go into effect on August 15th, is the brainchild of Republican state Rep. Henry Burns, who argues that houses of worship in rough neighborhoods need the protection that a concealed-weapons security force could provide.

The legislation also extends the period to have a concealed weapons permit from four to five years and gives houses of worship the option to hire off duty police or other security forces. It was one of hundreds of measures signed into law by the Republican governor.

Woman Brings Gun To Church

Woman wears gun in holster to church

She drives away and is stopped and ticketed by police

By Bruce Vielmetti of the Journal Sentinel

A Unitarian Universalist church might well be the last place you'd expect to find someone wearing a gun.

Maybe that's why Krysta Sutterfield chose the Unitarian church in Brookfield for an open-carry demonstration on Sunday. If she wanted to bring attention to the gun rights debate, she surely succeeded, though she probably didn't plan on getting arrested in the process.

Brookfield police said Thursday they were called to the church at 13001 W. North Ave. about 10:30 a.m. by a church staffer who said a woman was wearing a handgun in a hip holster. By the time three squad cars arrived, Sutterfield was driving away. She was stopped, and police found the loaded 9mm gun in a zipped case on the passenger seat.

She was handcuffed, taken to the police station, processed and ticketed for having the loaded gun in her car - a state forfeiture citation, not a criminal offense. Sutterfield was then released.

She was not ticketed for openly carrying the weapon into the church, which did not have signs prohibiting firearms.

"We've referred the case to the district attorney," Police Capt. Phil Horter said.

Sutterfield, 41, of Milwaukee, referred questions Thursday to her attorney, Rebecca Coffee, who said she couldn't comment on her client's intentions or actions Sunday.

Caryl Sewel, president of the congregation at Unitarian Universalist Church West, said Sutterfield may have attended a service before but was not a registered member of the church. Because of the Fourth of July holiday, Sunday's service was lightly attended, Sewel said, and a guest minister was speaking about civil rights.

Sewel said that Sutterfield's gun was clearly visible on her hip, but that she didn't ever remove it from its holster or do anything overtly threatening. Still, it concerned Sewell.

"I didn't feel comfortable asking her why she was wearing the gun," Sewel said. "Truthfully, we found it very intimidating," especially in light of the 2005 shootings at a church service at a Brookfield hotel that left eight people dead, and a 2008 shooting at a Unitarian church in Tennessee that killed two people.

But Sewel said other members did ask Sutterfield, and she replied she was expressing her 2nd Amendment rights.

Sewel said other staff called the administrative line of the Brookfield Police Department for clarification about the legality, and the officers responded in force with at least three squad cars. She said she didn't think that was an overreaction, again because of the memories of the 2005 shootings.

The church will probably now post a sign banning guns, Sewel said, but it has no grudge against Sutterfield.

"We'd be happy to have her come back," Sewel said. "Just don't bring a gun."

Gun rights advocates are riding some momentum lately. Last year, state Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen advised law enforcement that open-carry was not, in itself, a basis for a charge of disorderly conduct. Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court held that the 2nd Amendment right of most individuals to possess firearms applies to the states, and within a day, one Wisconsin district attorney said he would no longer prosecute cases of concealed carry or transporting uncased or loaded guns in vehicles. A challenge to Wisconsin law banning guns within 1,000 feet of a school is pending in federal court.

Nik Clark, president of Wisconsin Carry Inc., called the state "behind the times" for prohibiting transport of loaded guns, which most states allow.

"Wisconsin Carry advocates that people follow all Wisconsin firearm regulations, even those we find patently unconstitutional, until such time as we are able to change those laws through legal challenges and/or legislative changes," Clark said.

Jeri Bonavia, executive director of the Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort, disagrees with the basic open-carry tenet that armed law-abiding people deter criminals.

"When people make a decision to carry a gun or that a gun will keep them safer, they have the opportunity to analyze risks and benefits. They get to decide," she Bonavia said. "But when they bring it into public, they're forcing their analysis on all of us."

Broad research shows, she said, that "guns, overall, do not promote public or personal safety."

Man Sentenced for Killing Toddler with Baseball Bat in Church

Wheaton man sentenced for killing toddler with baseball bat in church

A man who accidentally killed a toddler with a baseball bat while attacking her stepfather in a western Minnesota church has been sentenced to 20 years in prison.

David E. Collins, 51, of Wheaton, was sentenced Thursday by Traverse County District Judge Gerald Seibel in the death of Aundrea Brownlow, 14 months, as he went after Claude Hankins, in September inside Thy Kingdom Come church.

Collins and Hankins were in a dispute over $20 and a used washer and dryer.

The Rev. Danny Barnes of the Thy Kingdom Come said Saturday he gave the appliances to Hankins, and that angered Collins.

Collins was convicted in a bench trial before Seibel of unintentional second-degree murder and second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon.

With time served and credit for good behavior in prison, Collins could end up serving as little as 12 1/2 years.

Soon after the killing, Collins' wife said her husband didn't see Aundrea before crushing her skull.

The church's mission includes serving people with drug and alcohol addictions.

Condoms found at historic church

Originally printed at http://www.nbcaugusta.com/news/georgia/97275099.html

BEECH ISLAND, S.C. - Thousands of dollars worth of damages have been done to a historic church in Aiken County.

Church members spent Saturday morning restoring their church before Sunday’s service.

Three men, who sat in the Susan Union Baptist church in Beech Island as little boy’s 60-years -ago, came in to clean up the mess.

Reverend Abraham Smith Jr. is one of them.

"When we came to church there wasn't too much fooling around when I was growing up,” Smith said.

The 117-year-old church is five miles from the road, nestled in the woods and has service every fourth Sunday of the month.

Smith says this month someone or someones came early.

"Glass was all in the pulpit,” Smith said pointing toward the broken windows. Several chairs were smashed and King James Bible was thrown on the floor.

He tallied up $2,000 in damages.

"The grounds are said to be holy grounds, but they don't even have respect for the grounds,” Smith said.

Aiken County Sheriff’s Investigators say they think teenagers are to blame.

Deacon Fred Key says he caught them once.

"Teenagers come back and park and do what they got to do, drink beer, smoke reefer and they probably got feeling good and wanted to break some windows,” Key said.

Smith pointed out the beer cans and condom wrappers that littered the area around the church.

“No respect, no respect I can’t believe they left them right there,” he said.

Smith says he expects 15 people to show up to the service.

The Aiken County Sheriff's Office is investigating the vandalism at this church as well as several other Aiken County Church vandalism's.

Two Men Steal Items From Bishop Long's Office

2 steal iPad, other items from Bishop Eddie Long's office

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

3:38 p.m. Wednesday, June 23, 2010

At first, the master key to the New Birth Baptist Church was missing.

Then, an iPhone, iPad and other random items – more than $1,300 worth – were taken from Bishop Eddie Long’s office.

The incident happened on June 13, according to a DeKalb police report obtained by the AJC. A security camera at the church on Woodrow Road in Lithonia caught most of it on videotape.

Police arrested the thieves Wednesday. Investigators say they don't know what the connection is between the suspects and the church -- but they do believe that the theft was an inside job.

The camera recorded two men wearing dark hooded shirts, dark pants and white gloves using a key to enter the church at some point during the night between June 13 and 14.

Patrick Simmons, the church’s security manager, told DeKalb police that the master key was missing from the secretary’s desk on June 11 – and then “suddenly appeared” four days later.

Then they noticed that an iPhone, iPad and speaker system as well as some jewelry were missing, Simmons told police.

Police arrested Anthony Boyd, 19, of Decatur, and Maurice Robinson, 20, and charged them with burglary. Robinson’s address were not listed on the police report.

Art Franklin, a publicist for Long, said the bishop was traveling and would not be able to speak to the press. He referred all questions to the DeKalb police.

In a statement, Long said he “forgives the men and hopes that they understand what they did is wrong. Long added that he is praying for them and that God is a God of mercy and compassion.”

Teen stabbed multiple times in church parking lot

By Nicole Gonzales

WEST VALLEY CITY -- A teenage boy was stabbed nearly a dozen times Sunday morning in an LDS Church parking lot. Police are now trying to track down the attacker.

Police say the stabbing happened around 5 a.m. on the north side of the church at 3450 S. 6400 West. The 16-year-old was able to drag himself away from the scene of the crime, but collapsed a block later.

"It was an extremely bloody scene," said Sgt. Paul Gill with the West Valley City Police Department. "It was a violent attack.

Police say the attacker also beat the teen before leaving him to die.

A driver saw the teen, who was bleeding profusely, and called 911. Officers arrived soon after, and an AirMed helicopter landed in the church parking lot.

John Alvarez

"That's where they noticed the bloody clothing and a large amount of blood where it appeared the actual assault took place," Gill said.

Gill says the boy had been stabbed between 10 and 12 times from his torso up to his head. He was taken to University Hospital in stable but critical condition.

Surgeons have operated on him several times already. Investigators have not been able to speak to the teen to get a statement.

The Major Crimes Unit is investigating, looking for leads and witnesses in the area. They are not ruling out the possibility the attack may have been gang related.

"It was an extremely bloody scene. It was a violent attack." -Sgt. Paul Gill

John Alvarez lives next to the church. He didn't hear or see anything and was shocked when he got word of the attack.

"That was surprising," he said. "Out of the eight years, we've never heard of anything like that happen around here."

Alvarez and his family moved to Utah from the Los Angeles area to escape violence. Now, it's in their neighborhood and save haven -- church.

Alvarez says he and his younger siblings go to the meetinghouse every day to play basketball and run around.

"I sometimes even let my sister just go with my brothers. We always thought it was a safe place. Nothing bad and that's it. So it does change everything now," he said.

Investigators plan to look at surveillance video from a nearby Holiday gas station to see if they can find any leads. They don't have descriptions of any suspects or a getaway car.

Anyone with any information is asked to call police.

Church Member Beaten To Death In Her Own Church

Congregation member beaten to death inside her own church

By Lori Brown -

WYNNE, AR (WMC-TV) - The pastor of a Cross County, Arkansas church found an 80-year-old member of his congregation beaten to death inside the sanctuary Sunday.

Lillian Wilson was beaten to death inside the church, which was wrapped in crime scene tape Sunday night. Wilson was at the church helping with storm relief.

"Went over my home where I was born and raised and found it completely demolished," Wilson said in an interview after a tornado tore apart her parent's home in May.

Dixon Platt, Wilson's pastor, found her body under the pew when he walked into the church Sunday afternoon.

Platt had gone to Central United Methodist Church to collect disaster care buckets she had brought over. He noticed Wilson's car was not at the church.

Investigators said they believe the killers drove off in Wilson's car.

Linda Peeler remembered Wilson as a kind woman.

"Anything that helped other people, she was always there," Peeler said.

Wilson was a retired registered nurse, but even in retirement she continued to help people.

"We became friends when my dad got sick and she came and helped us take care of him," Peeler said.

Wilson, an animal lover, was a volunteer at the Wynn Animal Shelter.

"I can't understand how anyone could hurt such a wonderful person," Peeler said. "She would have gave them anything."

Investigators are looking for Wilson's car. It is a gray Mercury Marquis with Arkansas license plate 737-NGN. The front license plate has a tag that says "Eat Rice."

One suspect is reportedly Thomas Tweedle, a man in his early 40s.

Man Tackled After Threat To Shoot Mom In Church

Witnesses: Man Tackled After Threat To Shoot Mom In Church

Man Brings BB Gun To Potter's House Ministries In Mount Oliver

May 24, 2010

PITTSBURGH -- Parishioners sprang into action Sunday morning at a Mount Oliver church where a man threatened to shoot his mother after pulling out a weapon, which was later determined to be a BB gun, Pittsburgh police said.The suspect -- identified as Robert Irvin, 23, of the Mt. Washington area -- was arrested on charges including aggravated assault, terroristic threats and simple assault, police said.People at the church said they were thankful that security guards stepped in to stop the situation from getting worse. Witnesses said quick-thinking security guards prevented chaos inside Potter's House Ministries on Ormsby Avenue."I was in the back. I seen it, though. It was pretty scary," parishioner Tyreesha Hutchinson said.Video - Witnesses said the man entered the church through a side door and pulled out the gun and said, "I'm going to shoot her," police said.Security staff hired to work Sundays at the church quickly tackled the man, witnesses said.

ROBERT IRVIN

"As he came into the side, there was a couple guys that I guess seen the commotion going on and he was about to do something, so they tackled him and that's when they got him, and a couple guys got on top of him and took him off," said Precious Anderson, a parishioner.Police said security guards noticed the young man fumbling around during services, so they asked his stepfather to take him outside. Police said the stepfather took the young men outside and they talked before the young man pulled out the gun and hit his stepfather with it, cutting his ear.Bishop Otis Carswell, the church's senior pastor, said the victim is a deacon at the church. He also said he saw the young man before services."I pulled over and spoke to him and said, 'Hello, and asked him if he was coming to service today, and he said he was," Carswell said. "I just blessed him and kept going, never thinking that he would cause an incident today."Carswell said the young man has some issues, but he would not elaborate. He said parishioners will be praying for him.

Brushy Creek Baptist Church musician charged with assault on teen girl

Brushy Creek Baptist Church
musician charged with
assault on teen girl
• May 4, 2010

A member of the orchestra at Brushy Creek Baptist
Church in Taylors has been charged after
authorities alleged that he kissed a 14-year-old girl
inside the church after orchestra practice.

Perry Eugene Huff, 58, 210 Devonwood Court,
Taylors, was charged with assault and battery of a
high and aggravated nature, according to a warrant.

The Greenville County Sheriff’s Office was told that
Huff kissed the girl on the lips on multiple
occasions and slapped her on the buttocks,
according to the warrant and an incident report.

“The investigator in the case along with the
Solicitor's Office agreed that, based on the evidence
and facts of the case, Huff was to be charged with
ABHAN versus criminal sexual conduct with a minor,
or lewd act on a minor, because the criteria to
charge Huff with CSC or lewd act didn't exist,” said
Sheriff’s Deputy Matthew Armstrong.

Huff was arrested and released on a $10,000
personal recognizance bond, Armstrong said.

Staffers at Brushy Creek Baptist Church couldn’t be
reached for comment Monday.

Thief takes morning collection from Woodlands church

A thief broke into a Woodlands church Sunday evening and got away with the morning collection of cash and checks, authorities said.

Montgomery County sheriff's officials were notified about the burglary at The Woodlands Christian Church on North Millbend Drive about 5 p.m.

Investigators were told that someone forced his way into an interior room through an inside door and stole a safe containing cash, checks and credit cards.

The burglary happened sometime during choir practice, authorities said. Officials on Monday did not have an estimate of the amount of money taken.

Investigators have little evidence and are seeking information about the crime. Anyone with information should contact Detective Brent Akin at 281-297-6510 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-392-7867.

Crime Stoppers will pay up to a $1,000 cash reward for information leading to an arrest or indictment of a felony crime.

Shots Fired At Church

Police said they arrested a Middle Township man Saturday after shots were fired at the Grace Gospel Church on Route 9 in Rio Grande during a church function.

No one was reported injured from the rounds fired at the church shortly before 2 p.m. Saturday.

When police arrived in response to a 911 call, witnesses said a white van fled the scene. Police found and followed the van to Shunpike Road, where its driver, William Adams, 28, of the Whitesboro neighborhood, pulled into a driveway and fled on foot.

Police surrounded the area and apprehended Adams. Police charged him with eluding a law-enforcement officer and for having a small amount of marijuana.

Middle Township Police Sgt. Richard McHale said the shooting is still under investigation by the local department’s Major Crimes Unit and the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office.

3 Arrested In Church Burglary

Bastrop, La. -

The Bastrop Police Department made three arrests Friday in connection with the burglary of First Baptist Church last weekend.

Police Chief Downey Black said three televisions and three DVD players were reported stolen from the church Monday, April 19.

A Crime Stoppers tip led to the arrest of Kortland Logan, 21, 604 Hollyhurst Drive. Logan was charged with possession of stolen property-felony and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute. The marijuana was found in his vehicle.

Subsequent investigation led to the arrests of two juveniles, both 16, in connection with the burglary of First Baptist Church. Both juveniles were charged with unauthorized entry, and one was also charged with simple burglary.

Black said as of Friday afternoon, all of the stolen property has been recovered with the exception of one TV.

Man Charged With Assaulting Woman During Church Service

Church Members Dragged Man From Service, Deputies Say

REIDSVILLE, N.C. -- A Reidsville man grabbed a woman's arm, pulled her hair and choked her during a Sunday morning service at the Solomon's Temple Church Sunday, Rockingham County deputies said.

Deputies said Antonio Simmons, 23, was asked by the pastor to leave, but he refused. Several church members then pulled him into the parking lot, deputies said.

By the time deputies arrived at the church, Simmons had already left.

A deputy spotted Simmons riding in a pickup truck along with 10 to 15 other people. He was taken into custody without incident and charged with domestic assault on a female, threatening phone call, larceny, second-degree trespass and disorderly conduct by disturbing a religious service.

Bond was set at $5,000.

The 18-year-old victim didn't require medical attention.

Police: Toddler safe after church kidnapping try

This weekend, a Eugene Police crime prevention specialist – Officer Steven Chambers – said he was working at a youth event at the church when he "observed a commotion involving a woman calling out for her missing child," according to a press release from the Eugene Police Department.

Chambers and a nearby woman say they both saw a man "luring her 2-year-old child away." The woman grabbed the child, the man jumped into his car and Chambers radioed in the man's description and direction of travel.

"A short time later, Eugene police officers stopped and detained Azoulas David Yurashunas without incident," reports the release.

Yurashunas is 23 years old.

He is now being held on charges of kidnapping, in the second degree, at Lane County Jail.

Assault At Church

Man arrested assault at
Christ the Rock Community
Church

April 12, 2010

MENASHA — Authorities arrested a 30-year-old man
on Sunday morning after he struck another man at
church then later struck a sheriff's deputy.

A Calumet County sheriff's deputy arrested the man
at about 10:45 a.m. after the incident at Christ the
Rock Community Church, W6254 U.S. 10-Wisconsin
114.

John Dedering, an investigator with the sheriff's
department, said the man broke a hallway pew after
becoming angered when denied access to the
church's child care area. He also punched and
kicked an individual who attempted to calm him
down before leaving the church. The man later
punched a sheriff's deputy who stopped him.

The man was booked into the Calumet County Jail.

Man Attempts To Kidnap Girl At Church

Girl nearly abducted during church Easter egg hunt

Cameras caught the man attempting to abduct a young girl in a church parking lot

MONTGOMERY, AL (WSFA) - Police say a man tried to kidnap a little girl while she hid Easter eggs outside of a Montgomery church Sunday morning.

As of Monday afternoon, Montgomery Police were following numerous leads, though there hasn't been an arrest.

On a day devoted to faith, togetherness, and fun, parishioners at Hunter Station Baptist Church don't know what to think.

"They're not safe at their home, they're not safe at the store. They're not safe at the church no more," said Jane Silas.

Luckily, this church has a surveillance camera--which caught the attempt on tape.

The attempted abduction started during Sunday worship. A 10-year-old girl and her brother stepped outside to hide Easter eggs for the other children, according to police.

While the siblings were hiding the eggs authorities say the driver of a black SUV passed the parking lot, circled back, got out, and asked the kids to come over.

"He pulled up, attempted to talk to the subject's little brother--who was 6 years of age--and began making small talk with him," explained MPD Sergeant M.E. Tatum.

The man's small talk then abruptly ended. "He grabbed her, pushed her in the truck," Silas said.

Police say the man also pushed the boy to the ground and tried to drive off with the girl. At the same time, the quick-thinking girl jumped from the SUV and ran off.

"I have to tip my hat to the young girl for her bravery and keeping her wit about her," Tatum said.

"She actually ran from the vehicle at the time he tried to get her in, and possibly saved her life,"

It's an Easter Sunday that could have ended much worse. Church members say they'll stay out with the children next time.

"If I had been five more minutes, I'd have been coming out when he tried to grab her," said Raymond Silas.

"We're going to have to watch them closer," Jane Silas explained. "Very, very, very close. So, you can't trust anything."

Right now, police are looking a white male in his late 30s or early 40s. Authorities say the man has a bald spot on the top of his head.

He was wearing a blue polo shirt and black pants and took off in a black, Nissan XTerra-type SUV.

Police say the little girl is safe and sound and thankful to be alive. Major Huey Thornton of the Montgomery Police Department said the police are following several leads, but as of mid-morning on Monday, no one had been taken into custody.

Two Women Steal Easter Offering

Two women steal Sacramento County church's Easter offerings

Published Monday, Apr. 05, 2010

Two women pulled a pray and dash at a local church, showing up as guests, then making off with the collection totaling thousands of dollars in Easter offerings, according to the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department.

Like most churches, the Church of the Nazarene on Arden Way was enjoying a packed house for Easter. Longtime parishioner and former state Assemblyman Larry Bowler said there were many extra guests and occasional churchgoers.

According to sheriff's deputies, two guests were spotted in the church office about 11:20 a.m. But before staff could verify whether they had permission to be there, the women were gone – along with between $10,000 and $20,000 in cash and checks.

Such crimes against churches are "quite unusual," said Capt. Scott Jones.

Over the last two years, eight churches have been robbed, according to a Bee analysis of law enforcement and business records of houses of worship in Sacramento, Rancho Cordova, Roseville, Elk Grove and unincorporated Sacramento County.

"They are usually not huge targets," Jones said, noting that theft by church members is more common.

The women – described as African Americans in their 20s – left in a faded black '80s sedan, Jones said. One was wearing a purple shirt, the other a black shirt, Jones said. No arrests have been made.

Church members who made an offering with a check during the early service have been advised to stop payment.

Church treasurer Albert Seltzer said he didn't think it was the women's first visit to the church.

"To me it had to have been planned," Seltzer said. "They have probably been here before and know the layout of the church."

Bowler was most struck by the timing of the theft.

"To steal from anyone is an outrage. To steal from a church is a double outrage and to steal from a church on Easter Sunday – that is beyond outrage," Bowler said.

He said if the women needed food, it was available. The church operates a food closet, feeding hundreds of people weekly.

"These gals didn't want food," Bowler said. "They wanted cash."

© Copyright The Sacramento Bee. All rights reserved.

Man Attacks Congregation

Man Disrupts Wilkinsburg Congregation's Palm Sunday Mass

POSTED: 4:48 pm EDT March 28, 2010

UPDATED: 6:25 pm EDT March 28, 2010

WILKINSBURG, Pa. -- A man walked into Palm Sunday Service and attacked three people, biting one of the victims, police said.Wilkinsburg police arrested William Carter Jr. on Sunday as the congregation at the Christian Church of Wilkinsburg on Wallace Avenue tries to make sense of the bizarre attack.Police said Carter, 31, walked into the service, right down the center aisle and asked to speak with the pastor."I was in the process of leading worship. So, I asked one of our associate licensed ministers to talk to him (and) she did. We thought he had left. I looked up in the balcony and I could see that he was still there," said the Rev. Janet Hellner-Burris.She said the man was struggling with mental illness, or addiction or both, and knew a member of the congregation."At that point, I could hear some crashing and some furniture was kicked over in the process of trying to get him calmed down," Hellner-Burris said.Members of the congregation were able to restrain the man, who then bit the pastor's husband on the ear, police said. Officers managed to restrain Carter in handcuffs, but he still tried to go after people in the church, police said."We have trained folks in our congregation who immediately stepped up (and) restrained him," Hellner-Burris said. "The police were called and the paramedics were called, and he was taken to where he needs to go, and we've been praying for him ever since."Hellner-Burris said she's glad Carter went to the church."If he had been somewhere else, he might not have been safe enough when whatever overtook him happened, and we were able to help him," Hellner-Burris said. "I'm actually glad he was here this morning, because he could have hurt someone else if he would have gone somewhere else with all of that rage that was inside of him."Some members of the congregation were sent to the emergency room for treatment after the attack.Carter remained in police custody charged with simple assault.

Man Admits To Attempted Church Bombing

Guilt admitted in church bomb try

By Dan Herbeck

News Staff Reporter

Updated: March 30, 2010, 12:04 am
Published: March 29, 2010, 1:32 pm

A drunken escapade with racist overtones last summer has left a 29-year-old Buffalo man facing a term in federal prison.

Richard M. Blonski, 29, of Jones Street, pleaded guilty to three felony charges Monday in connection with an attempted bombing July 4 at a predominantly black church on Lewis Street.

In a case that initially was investigated as a potential hate crime, Blonski admitted that he made a pipe bomb and placed it inside Redeeming Fire Fellowship Church.

Although the fuse was lit on the bomb, police said, it did not go off. No one was in the church when Blonski threw it inside.

Appearing in U.S. District Court before Judge Richard J. Arcara, Blonski pleaded guilty to felonies of attempted arson and bombmaking and to a civil rights crime of intending to damage a religious facility based on racial motivations.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Buffalo fire marshals and other agencies.

Shortly after his arrest, Blonski told federal agents that he had consumed an excessive quantity of Southern Comfort liqueur and "a bunch of beers" before deciding to try to bomb the church.

Blonski, who is employed as a fence installer, told agents that he committed the crime because he was despondent that his life appeared to be going nowhere. But in his plea agreement, he admitted that he targeted the church because of the "race, color and ethnic characteristics" of the congregants.

"Is that what happened here?" Arcara asked Blonski.

"Yes," the defendant said.

The attempted bombing occurred four weeks after Redeeming Fire Fellowship took over a building that, for decades, had been Precious Blood Catholic Church.

If the judge decides to follow advisory sentencing guidelines, Blonski could face at least five years and three months in prison when he is sentenced July 7.

But if he had been convicted of using a bomb in a crime of violence, he could have faced a mandatory minimum prison term of 30 years, Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard P. Maigret said.

Teen Hold Church Hostage For Cell Phone

TULSA, OK -- A slight disturbance after a prayer meeting at a Tulsa church resulted in two teens in handcuffs. Officers report that a teen held parishioners of the Sheridan Road Baptist Church hostage because someone in the church wouldn't return his cell phone.

Officers say the teen and others were blocking the doors, preventing people from leaving. Pastor John Plum told FOX23 it all started during youth service. The teen thought someone had his phone, which happened to be turned off. Plum said he tried to talk to the teen and even offered assistance in searching for the cell phone, but the teen became belligerent. That's when the church called law enforcement for assistance. "Our desire as a church is to reach out to families and help in any way we can, but our priority last evening was the safety of our elderly parishioners," Plum said. When officers responded, they tried to persuade the teens to leave, but they wouldn't comply. While trying to arrest the teen, another teen jumped in the way. That teen was also arrested. "We tried to talk to the teenagers, they were uncooperative, they were very upset and yelling," Offcier Darren Shipley said. One officer was transported to the hospital for a knee injury. He has since been released.

Bullet Holes Found on Church Exterior

Dozens Of Bullet Holes Found In East Texas Baptist Church

Nearly three-dozen bullet holes have been discovered along the eaves of an East Texas church.

NEW BOSTON (March 19, 2010)—A worker who was changing a light bulb at a church in northeast Texas discovered nearly three-dozen bullet holes along the building’s eaves.

Liberty Hill Baptist Church Pastor James O. Hilton said the bullets could have damaged electrical wiring.

He said whoever fired at the building "took a chance on setting the church on fire."

At least 35 bullet holes were discovered March 12 when a security light was changed at the church near New Boston.

Authorities say they may have been made by shotgun pellets.

Hilton told the Texarkana Gazette that it must have happened since January when the steeple was tightened, because the bullet holes weren’t there then.

Bowie County Sheriff’s Office investigator Robby McCarver said Friday it looks like someone was trying to shoot out a street light and "the church was in the background and got hit."

McCarver told The Associated Press that nobody has been arrested.

New Boston is about 100 miles northeast of Tyler, where the investigation into a string of area church fires led to the arrest of two men in late Februa

Woman fatally shot at church counseling session

Story Published: Mar 17, 2010 at 6:11 PM PDT

Story Updated: Mar 18, 2010 at 7:03 AM PDT
Woman fatally shot at church counseling session


FEDERAL WAY, Wash. -- A woman has died following a shooting at a local church late Wednesday afternoon.

Police spokesman Ray Bunk said the woman and her husband were attending a counseling session at the Calvary Lutheran Church at 2415 S. 320th St. when the man pulled out a gun and shot her several times just before 6 p.m.

Bunk said it wasn't immediately clear whether the shooting took place during or just after the counseling session, but the suspected shooter called 911 afterward and waited for police and medics to arrive.

"We're unsure how many witnesses we have," Bunk said. "Right now, (we don't know) how many were in the room or even in the area. We're identifying and interviewing all those witnesses."

The 38-year-old Lakewood woman was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where she died. Her name has not been released.

The 42-year-old Lakewood man has been taken into custody.

Members of the congregation gathering for a scheduled soup supper, a Lenten tradition on Wednesdays, learned of the tragedy as they arrived at the church. Many grew teary-eyed over the incident at their place of worship.

"It was really scary to drive up and not know...we knew everybody was getting ready for the soup supper," said Sandra Cook.

Church members said a daycare inside the church was operating at the time of the shooting, sending parents on a frantic search for their little ones.

"The church is a place of hope, and to someone driven to this degree, this extreme...we just pray for everybody that was inside the building that was connected with this thing," said Stan Stenersen.

Sexual Assault at Church

A Milton man was arrested following an investigation concerning a sexual assault that allegedly occurred at a Milton church. Tuesday deputies arrested 24-year-old Nathaniel Baldwin on two counts of a sexual offense with a victim between the ages of 12 to 15 years of age. Baldwin was released after posting a bond of $10,000.



The incidents occurred at the Milton First Assembly of God on Dogwood Drive and at the suspect’s residence in January according to the report. The investigation began into the matter on Jan. 27, when a deputy was dispatched to Milton High School concerning a sexual battery complaint. The victim complained to officers they had been “raped” by Nathaniel Baldwin of Milton a week prior to the investigation According to the victim, Baldwin had been a close friend of theirs for a couple of years, and both the victim and Baldwin attended the same church. One incident in the report alleges, the victim was at the Milton First Assembly of God Church on Dogwood Drive on Jan. 20 and prior to services starting went to use the bathroom. The victim told officers that when they came out of the bathroom, Baldwin was standing outside the door and grabbed them and then pulled them into another room that was dark. They continued by saying that Baldwin held them on the ground and pulled off their shirt and bra and began “sucking and biting” the victim according to the report. Baldwin then pulled the victim’s pants and underwear off and began groping them, and put his hand both over and inside the victim’s mouth to keep them from yelling according to the victim’s statement, When officers asked what made Baldwin stop the actions, the victim stated that Baldwin looked at his watch and might have stopped because “church was about to start” according to the report. The next day, the victim told officers that both they and a family member were dropped off at their grandmother’s house after school. The victim’s relative called Baldwin to pick them up to get something to eat, and afterwards they went to Baldwin’s residence. According to the report, when the victim arrived at Baldwin’s house, the victim’s relative began playing video games in another room, and the victim got on Baldwin’s computer. The victim told officers that Baldwin entered the computer room, closed the door, and put something in front of the door to block it. The victim alleged Baldwin sat in a chair behind them and began groping and biting them as he did the day before, only this time, Baldwin bit more forcefully. The victim told officers that they would send Baldwin text messages back and forth that stated “vulgar things” according to the report, but none of the texts sent from the victim suggested Baldwin perform such acts as he did. On January 28, an officer was sent to the victim’s school to take photographs of the alleged injuries. According to the report, several scratch marks and abrasions were seen on the upper part of the victim’s body. Officers interviewed one of the victim’s friends who told officers that the victim had notified them of the same story about the incident on Thursday. Deputies interviewed Baldwin on Feb. 17, who said that both he and the victim were “pretty close” and said that he was dating the victim according to the report. He told officers that their friendship turned to dating in October 2009. Baldwin told officers that he had kissed and made out with the victim in the past, and through text messages, the two would talk about things that they wanted to “do to each other” and said the victim would send him texts asking him to write role-playing scenarios to him according to the report. Baldwin told officers that the received texts from the victim suggesting he “touch (them) further” according to the report. The suspect admitted to the officers that both the incident at the church and his residence did occur, but believed them to be consensual. He told officers that he did not bite her roughly, and suggested the bites were only “hickey oriented” according to the statement. Baldwin also told officers that both texted about trying to find “a quiet spot to get away from everyone” and that when they were at the church that Wednesday, “they both found an empty room” and Baldwin admitted to the actions described by the victim that happened that day according to the report.

Pastor Pleads Not Guilty To Church Theft

A pastor accused of stealing money from his church sat in Fond du Lac County Court on Tuesday with his head down, occasionally thumbing through a criminal complaint and other papers.


The Rev. Stuart Zak waited through a slew of initial appearances before a $500 signature bond was set in his case involving two counts of misdemeanor theft.
Seated at the defense table without an attorney, Zak did not know how to respond when Circuit Court Judge Robert Wirtz asked him to enter a plea. Wirtz entered a plea of not guilty on Zak's behalf.
Zak resigned from Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 855 Martin Ave., on Nov. 30 after he confessed to stealing between $5,000 and $10,000 over a period of 10 years.
On Nov. 29, Pastor Brett Naumann accused Zak of stealing from the Thanksgiving offering and switching the envelope containing the money with one featuring Zak's handwriting.
Zak at first denied taking the money. He then contacted police on Nov. 30 claiming that he "had sinned and needed to confess to stealing money from the envelope," according to the criminal complaint.
He later admitted that he first took money after a 1999 Christmas service. He admitted to stealing about $20 to $30 from offerings about 12 times since January 2009, usually after large services like Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve and Thanksgiving, according to the complaint.
Zak took out a loan to pay $10,000 to the church for the thefts from offerings, said Fond du Lac Police Department Capt. Steve Klein.
A plea and sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 18.

Man Breaks into Church to View Porn

AMES, Iowa (AP) - Second-degree burglary charges have been filed against an Ames man who broke into a church where he allegedly used the institution's electronic equipment to watch pornography.

Police allege 55-year-old Charles E. Bentley broke into the First Christian Church on Thursday. After gathering items from around the building, he is believed to have gone to the basement to spend the night.



Police, summoned to the church Friday by staff, found Bentley trying to haul away a garbage can filled with food, kitchen utensils, clothes, electronic equipment and a 26-inch flat-screen television.

Police Cmdr. Mike Brennan says Bentley used the electronic equipment to watch pornographic movies that were found on him when he was arrested.

Bentley is being held at the Story County Jail in lieu of $10,000 bond.

Woman Robbed at Church

Woman's Belongings Stolen At Church
11:39 AM EST, March 10, 2010

PORTLAND —

A woman's belongings, including her credit cards, were stolen while she went to communion at her church on Sunday.

The 80-year-old's personal belongings were stolen at St. Mary Church's 10:30 a.m. Mass Sunday, The Rev. John Ashe said today. When she returned from communion, her things — including credit cards — were gone.

"It's the first time since I've been here that anything like this has happened," said the pastor, who has been at the church 20 years.

An unfamiliar man had been sitting next to the woman, he said.

"No one recognized this fellow, so, obviously, he was not from the community," the priest said. "He slipped in and slipped out."

Police are investigating the theft and have been reviewing surveillance photos from at least one business where the thief is suspected of using a stolen credit card. A woman was with the man in the photos, Ashe said.

Meanwhile, church leaders are spreading more than the word of God. They are telling people not to leave their purses in the pew at communion time.

"We're going to suggest to people to try to be more careful," Ashe said.

Portland police would not comment on the theft.

Police Nab Church Parking Lot Burglar

Thursday, March 11, 2010
Last modified Wednesday, March 10, 2010 10:19 AM CST




Police nab church parking lot burglar through witness

By CHRIS ALLEN BAKER, News Editor

FOREST — Separate incidents of vehicle burglaries in area church parking lots set off an investigation recently that resulted in one arrest last week.

Argelis Pena, 17, of East Third St., Forest, was charged as an adult with felony auto burglary.

Forest Police Chief Robert Roncali praised the work of his officers in keeping watch over church parking lots and said the department intends to keep up their efforts.

“These churches will be closely watched,” Roncali said. “Like anywhere else, we will not tolerate these kinds, or any other, of criminal activity.”

Capt. Will Jones said that last Wednesday, police received a report of a truck being broken into at Forest Baptist Church by breaking one of the vehicle’s windows and personal property was taken.

“A witness reported seeing the suspect and gave an accurate description leading us to the right person. We executed a search warrant on his residence and recovered the stolen property. The suspect gave us a statement admitting to the burglary,” Jones said.

This is the second incident of its kind in that church parking lot and Jones said the other incident remains under investigation.

“We encourage all of our residents to be careful when walking through any parking lot, during the daytime or at night,” Roncali said. “Be observant of your surroundings and report anything that is suspicious.”

Woman Charged with raping teen boy in church Choir

DELAWARE: Del. woman
charged with raping teen in
church choir

Associated Press • March 5, 2010

NEW CASTLE — Police have charged a Newark
woman with raping a boy who was a member of her
church youth choir.

Thirty-year-old Zipporah Holland-Samuels was
arrested Thursday and taken into custody after
failing to post $55,000 secured bail. She is charged
with nine counts of fourth-degree rape and one
count of second-degree rape.

Authorities said Holland-Samuels is a member of the
adult choir at her church who began a sexual
relationship with the boy in January after
volunteering to assist with the youth choir.

Investigators said the victim, who was 15 when he
met Holland-Samuels but has since turned 16,
would go to her home to have sex instead of going
to choir practice.

Another Gun at Church

Brothers stop gun-wielding cousin from entering church

Posted: Feb. 24, 2010

Two brothers are being hailed as heroes in Louisburg after they stopped a man with a gun from entering a church last weekend.

James White had been asked to leave St. Delight United Church of Christ, on U.S. Highway 401 south of Louisburg, on Saturday morning after acting inappropriately, according to his cousin, Michael White.

A short time later, when as many as 30 people were inside the church feeding needy residents, James White returned with a rifle.

"He made a statement, 'Stop me from coming in my church now. Stop me from coming in now,'" said Michael White, who was outside the church at the time.

"Upon doing so, he started to raise the rifle," he said. "I didn't think. (There was) not much time to think. I knew that, once he got the gun into a full crest, he would be in total control."

Michael White's brother, Steven White, saw him grab the barrel of the rifle and begin struggling with their cousin. He then joined the fray.

"I didn't think about fear or anything else. All I thought about is what might have had happened if we didn't get that gun up out of his hand," Steven White said.

The brothers wrestled James White to the ground and pulled the rifle from his hands. One shot was fired in the struggle, but no one was hit.

Franklin County Sheriff Pat Green said James White had enough ammunition to shoot a dozen people.

Church members said the brothers' quick action was nothing short of heroic.

James White, 52, of 190 George Leonard Road in Louisburg, was charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill. He was being held Wednesday at Central Prison under a $75,000 bond.

Green said James White has a mental illness and was combative when he was taken to jail.

"I don't know what his intentions were – how far he would have gone. I just don't know. I can't get into his head," said Michael White, who added that he hopes his cousin will get the help he needs.

Copyright 2010 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Church Official Charged with Sexual Misconduct

Pamplico church official faces criminal sexual conduct charges
By Jamie Rogers | Morning News Reporter
Published: February 17, 2010

PAMPLICO—A Pamplico man was arrested in Clarendon County after deputies believe he sexually assaulted two children at the Turbeville church where he was employed, Clarendon County Sheriff’s Detective Rick Elms said.

Arley Atchley,53, of 4181 Sheminally Road is charged with two counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor, Elms said.

Clarendon deputies were investigating another unrelated sexual assault case at the Free Will Baptist Home for Children in Turbeville when two boys who lived at the complex told a minister that the suspect had sexually assaulted them.

The alleged assaults happened sometime during the suspect’s tenure at the home which was from 2004 to 2009 when he was laid off, Elms said.

Deputies said after leaving the children’s home he was employed at a Pamplico church but it is unclear if he is still working there.

Atchley was arrested Thursday and was released from the Clarendon County Detention Center. Bond and date of release information wasn’t available from the center.

Elms said the unrelated sexual assault case at Free Will Baptist Home for Children is an ongoing investigation. He declined to comment further on the case.

Two Teens Charged With attempting to burn Anderson SC Church

ANDERSON, S.C. (AP) -- Two South Carolina teens have been accused of trying to burn a church and school.

Multiple media outlets reported that the boys, ages 13 and 14, were arrested early Tuesday in Anderson County. Their names were not released because of their ages.

Anderson County sheriff's Sgt. Andy Tribble says each boy is charged with second-degree arson and three counts of second-degree burglary.

A deputy's report says firefighters and deputies found a piece of paper burning in the middle of about two gallons of diesel fuel in an unlocked storage room at Homeland Park Elementary School.

Tribble says the boys were found about a mile away at Homeland Park Baptist Church, where they had broken in and tried to start another fire.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Three men Shoot Up Church Service

RICHMOND, CA (KGO) -- In a brazen attack in the East Bay Sunday, three men stormed a church in Richmond, opening fire during a service at the New Gethsemane Church. Two teenagers were hit by the bullets and the gunmen got away.

New Gethsemane Church of God in Christ is a very spiritual church. About 175 church members were engaged in open prayer and gospel music was blaring when the shooting happened.

Several people in the church were keenly aware of three young male suspects, possibly teenagers, who walked into the sanctuary around noon. Witnesses say they were wearing black hoodies over their heads which raised a red flag.

Still, nobody thought they would pull out guns and start shooting.

Richmond police say they wounded two male victims. A 14-year-old and a 19-year-old suffered non-live threatening injuries to the ankle and shoulder.

"I even got my praise off. I instantly got paranoid," said church member Dianne Brown. "I turned around the whole time. Then, the other guys came off the choir stands, you know, the men that felt it too."

"In spite of the shooting that took place, Pastor Leviaz said he wasn't going to let anything stop God's program," said Rev. Andre Shumake, president of the Richmond Improvement Association. "So in spite of the shooting, I want the world to know that here at New Gethsemane, Gods' program continues. He held service, they sung they prayed and they worshiped God as though nothing had happened."

The church and surrounding neighborhood was locked down for at least one hour until police could secure the area. Richmond crime scene investigators believe the suspects fired about five shots inside the church.

The three shooting suspects are still at large.

Church Youth Leader Admits Sexual Battery of 14 Year old

Lakeport church youth leader admits sexual battery

By ASSOCIATED PRESS

Published: Monday, February 1, 2010 at 10:21 a.m.
Last Modified: Monday, February 1, 2010 at 11:59 a.m.

A Lake County church youth counselor has pleaded guilty to sexual battery on a 14-year-old girl.

Christopher Andrew Puryear, 23, of Kelseyville, faces a sentence that ranges from probation to five years in prison, said Lake County Deputy District Attorney Ed Borg.

Puryear was arrested in December after church leaders from Gateway Ministries church outside Lakeport reported he was having inappropriate contacts with at least one teen in a youth group. He was spending a great of time with girls in the group and sending them text messages, they reported.

During the investigation, deputies learned of the Nov. 25 sexual assault at a church function. Puryear asked the girl to go outside to talk, then assaulted her, stopping only after someone else came outside, according to the Lake County Sheriff's Office.

In exchange for his guilty plea, charges of forced oral copulation and dissuading a witness were dropped in connection with Puryear's assault on the girl and a charge of domestic assault on his wife was dropped, Borg said.

The domestic assault on Puryear's wife occurred after the assault on the girl, Borg said. Puryear also had a prior conviction for domestic assault, he said.

As part of the agreement, reached Friday, Puryear also admitted to serving a prior prison sentence for carrying a concealed or concealable weapon, an admission that could add a year to his sentence, Borg said.

Had he not made the plea agreement, Puryear could have faced a sentence of more than nine years in prison, said his attorney, Stephen Carter.

Puryear is scheduled to be sentenced March 5.

Judge Of The Bomber

Remember the guy who got on a plane with a bomb built into his shoe and tried to light it?

Did you know his trial is over?
Did you know he was sentenced?
Did you see/hear any of the judge's comments on TV or Radio? Didn't think so. Very few people do know!!!

Everyone should hear what the judge had to say.

Ruling by Judge William Young, US District Court.

Prior to sentencing, the Judge asked the defendant if he had anything to say. His response: After admitting his guilt to the court for the record, Reid also admitted his 'allegiance to Osama bin Laden, to Islam, and to the religion of Allah,' defiantly stating, 'I think I will not apologize for my actions,' and told the court 'I am at war with your country.'

Judge Young then delivered the statement quoted below:

January 30, 2003, United States vs. Reid.

Judge Young: 'Mr. Richard C. Reid, hearken now to the sentence the Court imposes upon you.

On counts 1, 5 and 6 the Court sentences you to life in prison in the custody of the United States Attorney General. On counts 2, 3, 4 and 7, the Court sentences you to 20 years in prison on each count, the sentence on each count to run consecutively. (That's 80 years.)

On count 8 the Court sentences you to the mandatory 30 years again, to be served consecutively to the 80 years just imposed. The Court imposes upon you for each of the eight counts a fine of $250,000 that's an aggregate fine of $2 million. The Court accepts the government's recommendation with respect to restitution and orders restitution in the amount of $298.17 to Andre Bousquet and $5,784 to American Airlines.

The Court imposes upon you an $800 special assessment. The Court imposes upon you five years supervised release simply because the law requires it. But the life sentences are real life sentences so I need go no further..

This is the sentence that is provided for by our statutes. It is a fair and just sentence. It is a righteous sentence.

Now, let me explain this to you. We are not afraid of you or any of your terrorist co-conspirators, Mr. Reid. We are Americans. We have been through the fire before. There is too much war talk here and I say that to everyone with the utmost respect. Here in this court, we deal with individuals as individuals and care for individuals as individuals. As human beings, we reach out for justice.

You are not an enemy combatant. You are a terrorist. You are not a soldier in any war. You are a terrorist. To give you that reference, to call you a soldier, gives you far too much stature. Whether the officers of government do it or your attorney does it, or if you think you are a soldier, you are not ----- you are a terrorist. And we do not negotiate with terrorists. We do not meet with terrorists. We do not sign documents with terrorists. We hunt them down one by one and bring them to justice.

So war talk is way out of line in this court. You are a big fellow But you are not that big. You're no warrior. I've known warriors. You are a terrorist. A species of criminal that is guilty of multiple attempted murders. In a very real sense, State Trooper Santiago had it right when you first were taken off that plane and into custody and you wondered where the press and the TV crews were, and he said: 'You're no big deal.'

You are no big deal.

What your able counsel and what the equally able United States attorneys have grappled with and what I have as honestly as I know how tried to grapple with, is why you did something so horrific. What was it that led
you here to this courtroom today?

I have listened respectfully to what you have to say. And I ask you to search your heart and ask yourself what sort of unfathomable hate led you to do what you are guilty and admit you are guilty of doing? And, I have an answer for you. It may not satisfy you, but as I search this entire record, it comes as close to understanding as I know.

It seems to me you hate the one thing that to us is most precious. You hate our freedom. Our individual freedom. Our individual freedom to live as we choose, to come and go as we choose, to believe or not believe as we individually choose. Here, in this society, the very wind carries freedom. It carries it everywhere from sea to shining sea. It is because we prize individual freedom so much that you are here in this beautiful courtroom, so that everyone can see, truly see, that justice is administered fairly, individually, and discretely. It is for freedom's sake that your lawyers are striving so vigorously on your behalf, have filed appeals, will go on in their representation of you before other judges.

We Americans are all about freedom. Because we all know that the way we treat you, Mr. Reid, is the measure of our own liberties. Make no mistake though. It is yet true that we will bear any burden; pay any price, to Preserve our freedoms. Look around this courtroom Mark it well. The world is not going to long remember what you or I say here. The day after tomorrow, it will be forgotten, but this, however, will long endure.

Here in this courtroom and courtrooms all across America , the American people will gather to see that justice, individual justice, justice, not war, individual justice is in fact being done. The very President of the United States through his officers will have to come into courtrooms and lay out evidence on which specific matters can be judged and juries of citizens will gather to sit and judge that evidence democratically, to
mold and shape and refine our sense of justice.

See that flag, Mr. Reid? That's the flag of the United States of America . That flag will fly there long after this is all forgotten. That flag Stands for freedom. And it always will.

Mr. Custody Officer. Stand him down.

So, how much of this Judge's comments did we hear on our TV sets? We need more judges like Judge Young. Pass this around.. Everyone should and needs to hear what this fine judge had to say. Powerful words that strike home.