LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A man who police said came to a Las Vegas church armed with a knife on Saturday wanted to expose “the wrongdoings he perceived to be taking place,” documents obtained by the 8 News Now I-Team said.
Police said they were called to the Liberty Baptist Church on Lake Mead Boulevard on Saturday for a report of a man making threats with a knife. The church is near the intersection of Rainbow Boulevard.
As officers arrived, they saw several people leaving the building. One person, identified as Jonathan Stetor, 37, matched a description of the person who was reportedly making threats, police said. Officers ordered Stetor to get on the ground and they took him into custody.
Officers learned Stetor had spoken to the church’s executive pastor earlier in the week, they said.
“Jonathan told [the pastor] that he believed the church was trying to indoctrinate him and told [the pastor] that he was going to expose the church,” officers wrote in Stetor’s arrest report.
On Saturday, Stetor came into the church’s auditorium, stood in the center of the room and pulled out a knife, police said.
“Jonathan began gesturing for [the pastor] for him to come over,” police said. “[The pastor] then observed Jonathan pull out a knife and waved it towards [him].”
Several witnesses corroborated the pastor’s story, saying Stetor had threatened him with the knife, police said.
While speaking to officers later in the day, Stetor said “he wanted to expose the church for the wrongdoings that he perceived to be taking place,” police said.
Stetor was charged with assault with a deadly weapon. He was being held without bail due to being out of jail on another felony charge, records showed.