CV NEWSFEED // An Omaha woman has been released from jail for a psychological evaluation after having broken into a local Catholic church and allegedly setting her father’s house on fire.
Noemi Guzman is no longer in custody following the orders of a judge to receive a mental health evaluation and to stay away from St Frances Cabrini Church property.
According to local reports, police responded to a call at around 5:20 am on March 3, alerting them to a “disturbance” involving a female suspect who had allegedly doused her victim in flammable liquid and cut him with a knife before attempting to set the house on fire. Forty minutes later, police received another call regarding a burglary at St Frances Cabrini.
Reports state Guzman broke into the rectory armed with a kitchen knife, and told the parish priest, R Damian Zuerlein: “I’m going to do terrible things. It is not my intent to hurt you.” The priest barricaded himself in an upstairs bedroom after she allegedly charged at him with the kitchen knife.
First responders were able to evacuate the priest from the second floor window of the rectory using a ladder truck.
“SWAT officials and crisis negotiators were called in, along with the deployment of drones — attempts to get her out were initially unsuccessful,” the report stated, adding that “the suspect apparently tried to spray officers with bear repellent — OPD says officers used a “less lethal” agent to get her out.”
Guzman is also accused of tearing a historical painting having an estimated value of $5,000 off the wall and dousing it with oil and wine.
Archdiocese of Omaha spokesperson Riley Johnson issued a statement following the incident:
The Archdiocese of Omaha is grateful to God for the safe conclusion to the incident at the St. Frances Cabrini rectory this morning, especially for the swift actions of first responders. We continue to pray for those involved in that incident and the preceding events.”
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