HOLLISTER
– A tense three-hour stand-off at the Immaculate Conception
Church in Tres Pinos ended peacefully Saturday when the Sheriff’s
department talked a delusional man with a knife into
surrendering.
HOLLISTER – A tense three-hour stand-off at the Immaculate Conception Church in Tres Pinos ended peacefully Saturday when the Sheriff’s department talked a delusional man with a knife into surrendering.
Deputies arrested Fernando Sanchez, 28, of Salinas on suspicion of burglary, vandalism and assault with a deadly weapon and took him to San Benito County Jail, where he is being held in lieu of $90,000 bail, according to jail records.
Investigators said they do not know if Sanchez was under the influence of some sort of drug or if he was having some sort of mental breakdown when he started tearing apart the church’s rectory.
After Sanchez was arrested, he was first taken to Hazel Hawkins Hospital for treatment of a wound.
“It appears he had a small knife wound, and we moved him there because they have better medical facilities than is available at the jail,” Sheriff Curtis Hill said.
The incident reportedly started Saturday morning when Sanchez told his wife Elizabeth that he needed to go to church in Tres Pinos. She told deputies that Sanchez had a dream that told him to go to the church, so she took him there, the Sheriff’s department said.
She reportedly told deputies that something was wrong almost from the minute they arrived at the church because he tensed up and started acting strangely as he got out of the car.
“She said it was as though he was possessed or something because he does not drink or do drugs,” Lt. Michael Covell said.
Sanchez allegedly broke into the church rectory and begged Father Lawrence Betrozoss, 64, to hear his confession and to remarry him and his wife.
In hopes of calming Sanchez down, Betrozoss did what Sanchez wanted. Once Betrozoss finished, Sanchez reportedly started screaming and yelling, saying he was going to kill himself and took off all of his clothing, the Sheriff’s department said.
Sanchez’s alleged rampage escalated as he reportedly started tearing up the interior of the rectory, the Sheriff’s department said. Betrozoss and Sanchez’s wife fled the building and called the Sheriff’s department for help.
A group of deputies, with help from several California Highway Patrol officers, surrounded the scene.
When deputies tried to go inside the rectory and talk to Sanchez, the nude suspect reportedly charged at deputies with a large knife, investigators said.
Deputies backed off to a safe distance around the church and opened negotiations with Sanchez, the Sheriff’s department said.
Deputies had to bring in a priest, Father Tovias Araiza, from Sanchez’s parish to calm him down and convince him to surrender without hurting himself or anyone else, the Sheriff’s department said.
Investigators said it took nearly two more hours of extensive discussions to convince Sanchez to surrender.
“Our officers used great restraint and did a great Job,” Covell said. “We also thank the CHP for their help.”
After he received a few stitches for the wound on his chest, Sanchez was booked into county jail, where officials called in a San Benito County Mental Health officer to evaluate him.
“They said whatever was wrong or whatever mental episode Sanchez was having was over and that he is sane now,” Covell said.
As a precaution, Sanchez was placed under a suicide watch at the jail.
