Alleged assault at Catholic church in San Francisco leads to chase with 'explosive devices': police

By Jon Brown, Christian Post Reporter Wednesday, November 01, 2023

Saints Peter and Paul Church is a Roman Catholic Church in San Francisco's North Beach neighborhood, directly across from Washington Square. | Getty Images

An alleged assault that took place earlier this week at a historic Roman Catholic church in San Francisco reportedly led police on a chase that ended with the suspect hurling explosive devices out of his vehicle.

Officers with the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) responded Sunday evening to reports of someone brandishing a knife and assaulting someone at Saints Peter and Paul Church in North Beach, according to a Monday press release from the department provided to The Christian Post.

SFPD identified the suspect as 42-year-old Daniel Garcia, who allegedly fled the scene in a vehicle and tossed "two improvised explosive devices out of the car window at pursuing officers."

"The pursuit continued onto the freeway, and officers from the California Highway Patrol took over the pursuit," SFPD said. "The pursuit came to an end in Martinez, CA where officers from the [California Highway Patrol] took the suspect into custody."

Garcia was subsequently booked at San Francisco County Jail on multiple charges.

"We'd like to thank officers from the [California Highway Patrol Golden Gate] Division for their assistance in this incident, they took Garcia into custody when the pursuit came to an end," SFPD said in a statement on X. "We'd also like to recognize the bravery of our own members who didn't hesitate to confront this dangerous suspect."

SFPD said investigators with the Special Investigations Division-Arson Unit are continuing to look into the incident.

Archdiocesan spokesman Peter Marlow told the Catholic News Agency (CNA) on Monday that the suspect punched another man after going forward to receive the Eucharist during 5 p.m. Mass.

“It was a person that went up to receive Communion at the 5 p.m Mass and then didn’t consume the consecrated host,” Marlow told the outlet. “He left without consuming.”

“There was a visiting person [also in attendance] who stood up and confronted the person and told him, ‘You can’t leave the church without consuming the host,’” Marlow continued. “And the guy went off and punched him and ran out of the church.”

Marlow added that the man who was punched was not in serious condition and was treated by paramedics.

City Supervisor Aaron Peskin said that the explosive devices were a Molotov cocktail and a pipe bomb, and that "nobody got seriously hurt" during the incident, according to The San Francisco Standard.

Saints Peter and Paul Church, which is in the 400 block of Filbert Street, was completed in 1924 after the first structure was destroyed in the famous San Francisco earthquake of 1906, according to the church's website.

Jon Brown is a reporter for The Christian Post. Send news tips to [email protected]