A New Jersey pastor lied when he said three people attacked him inside his church and tied him up, prosecutors say.
Jairon Pena told police that two masked men and a woman had attacked him Friday morning at the New Covenant Missionary Baptist Church in Somerville. Pena said the three removed bibles from the pews and scattered them throughout the church while making negative comments about his religious beliefs.
Pena said the three tied him up before leaving. Officers who responded to a 911 call found Pena with his hands loosely tied with a rope behind his back, legs tied and a piece of cloth stuffed into his mouth. He also had a plastic bag over his head, along with a piece of paper taped to his chest and a misspelled Islamic phrase, according to prosecutors.
Pena was taken to a hospital, where investigators and medical personnel noted that the 36-year-old Somerville resident didn't have any visible injuries, which they would expect as a result of being attacked and bound, according to prosecutors. His account to first responders also had inconsistencies, they said.
Prosecutors say Pena fabricated the story due to some undisclosed "personal events."
A call to the church rang unanswered Monday. A telephone number for Pena could not be located. He's charged with three counts related to making a false report.
