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NEWS

Church groundskeeper charged with battery weeks after skirmish over mosque support

Suspect pepper-sprayed woman during scuffle with her boyfriend

Published Modified

A church groundskeeper is facing a criminal charge weeks after allegedly pepper-spraying a couple in a skirmish spurred by the pastor’s support of a North Valley mosque.

Timothy Fresquez, 62, had his first hearing last week after being charged with battery, a petty misdemeanor, in the July 22 incident at St. Therese of the Infant Jesus Catholic Church near Fourth and Candelaria NW.

Fresquez declined an interview Wednesday as he was headed into a church service. He has a bench trial set for next month.

David Romero, 72, was initially the only person charged in the incident after allegedly pulling a gun on Fresquez and the Rev. Vincent Chávez during the scuffle. Romero — facing two counts of aggravated assault — is on pretrial release in the case.

Police said the issue began over social media, when Romero’s girlfriend and others criticized Chávez’s support for a proposed mosque in the North Valley. Chávez posted the woman’s name on a sign denouncing racism outside the church, and the woman called 911 and then Romero after she got into a dispute with Fresquez and Chávez.

The woman’s friend told police they were on the phone during the incident and she could overhear Fresquez “initially speak calmly before becoming angry,” according to a criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan Court. The friend said she told the woman to call 911 because Fresquez’s "behavior was scaring her.”

Police said Fresquez told them Romero showed up after being called by the woman and tried to punch him and pull off the side mirror of his truck. Fresquez said he used pepper spray on Romero, and the girlfriend was behind him “recording and laughing.”

Fresquez told police Romero’s girlfriend “then moved onto church property,” and he used pepper spray on her “because he believed she was participating in the confrontation,” according to the complaint. 

Police said that’s when Romero pulled a gun and threatened Fresquez and Chávez with it before fleeing. Both Fresquez and Chávez told police they were afraid they were going to be shot by Romero.

Romero told police he pulled out his gun after being pepper sprayed but “held it at his side” and never pointed it at anyone, according to the complaint. 

The complaint states the friend of Romero’s girlfriend told police she drove the woman home because she was unable to drive after being pepper sprayed and later went to urgent care for treatment.