Police: Man Threatens To Kill Parishioners Inside Long Island Church On Easter Sunday

BALDWIN, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- A homeless man has been arrested on Long Island for allegedly threatening parishioners at a church on Easter Sunday.

It happened around 6:30 p.m. Sunday at Inglesia Despirtar Church on Grand Avenue in Baldwin.

According to Nassau County police, 50-year-old Jose Rodriguez walked up to a man he knows inside the church, put up his fists and threatened to kill him.

Rodriguez then put his hands in his pants pocket to indicate he had a weapon and said loudly that he was going to come back to shoot the man and other worshipers in the church, police said.

He fled the scene, but was arrested by responding officers a short distance away. No weapon was found.

Police told WCBS 880's Sophia Hall that this is the suspect's 14th arrest.

Rodriguez is charged with menacing, disruption or disturbance of a religious service and making a terroristic threat. He is set to be arraigned on Monday.