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NBCConnecticut.com
A man exposed himself to parishioners at St. James Catholic Church in Killingly, Conn. on Wednesday.
A Connecticut man was facing several charges after police said he barged into a church naked and exposed himself to parishioners and a third-grade class Wednesday afternoon.
The incident happened around 2 p.m. at St. James Catholic Church in Killingly, Conn.
The Rev. John O’Neill told NBC Connecticut that the man got in through a front door that was supposed to be locked.
Police arrested Gary Pohronezny, 41, of Brooklyn, Conn., at the church. O’Neill said Pohronezny was known to police.
Parent Tracy Caffrey said her young daughter was inside and saw everything.
“It's very scary. Your heart stops a beat for a minute or two,” Caffrey said. “She said it was scary. She said it was sudden.”
Read more news from NBC Connecticut
The stranger allegedly exposed himself to a third-grade class from the St. James School a few feet away. The kids were in the middle of Mass practice, and parishioners were also on hand.
“They were definitely distraught,” Caffrey said.
The teacher inside the church did everything she could to protect her students, O’Neill said. “She told the man to leave and told the kids go to the school immediately.”
While the scare at the church was tough for families to deal with, they were grateful no one was hurt.
“Very thankful, especially after everything that's happened lately,” Caffrey said.
They were also thankful the unwanted visitor was put behind bars.
Watch US News crime videos on NBCNews.com
After police made the arrest they went back to the St. James School and talked to the children, saying their goal was to calm fears and make sure the kids felt safe.
Pohronezny was charged with 20 counts, including disorderly conduct, risk of injury to minors and interfering with police. A court appearance is scheduled for Jan. 10.
A Connecticut State Police spokesman told NBC News on Thursday morning that Pohronezny was undergoing a psychological evaluation.
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Dont have to worry much about that around here....its been 7 degrees last couple days.
Six below where I live this morning.
Cold shrinkage probably didn't leave a whole lot to see.
Another naked man on a winter rampage? These guys must be members of the Polar Bear Flasher Club...
This is the third story in two days about some naked guy. Maybe we should be testing our water supply?
criminy, the disease is spreading all over creation! people rending their clothes, tossing away all worldly goods, running naked thru the streets, jumping into freezing water. oops, wait, jumping into freezing water is ok.
That imprisoned FLDS pastor (the one with 600 children from 200 different interbred 12 year old wives) is behind this, i'm sure of it!
Must be a 'sign' from the creator?
Bwahahahahaha!
Sadly, we will never get any further facts after this sensational exposure by the media.
It may have been the thrill of entering when fully aroused, but the relief when he left was truly limp.
Perhaps he didn't expect such an audience when he went in to confess his sins, fully baring his soul! Or it may have been a sick 'dare' by his 'very best buds' or he was feeling no pain or much of anything.
Doubt if the kids would even see his inch worm around here, it's a balmy -12 here....
Naw-you don't say? A catho(lick) church? I thought this was a normal everyday event. You know how nasty those old white priests are. LOL. This isn't news, unless a decent person happen to see it and they couldn't cover (no pun intended) it up!!
Ya know.... if everyone had burst out laughing they would have cured him.
Who knows maybe he had a patch of fur down there
All jokes aside, with the number of people barging into churches and shooting them up, and now this fool, it looks as though churches should join schools in seeing that their doors are locked when people are inside... especially children.
It's very fortunate that the only weapon this fool had on him was his weener.
Seewhat I mean188 banned, lots of racist remarks since joining the site...and not much else.
No, thanks.
Makes me wonder why God would let somebody like that into his house. They are still praying at that church, right?
You really wonder why he would? Could it be, because he doesn't have an ego to bruise like you have?
I guess God didn't have a key.
Pat Robertson has taught me never to question. God decided that the children needed to see a naked man. Please quit questioning why god does stupind things to torment children.
It is called FREE WILL !
You sound just like a new convert to Christianity... who doesn't understand things yet.
It is only logical to blame God for 'acts of God', not acts of crazy people. Next time a volcano blows somewhere you can shake your fist at the sky...
Don't you mean "Free Will'y" ?
Because God does not consider that church His house, because it is a corrupt religion...
blah blah blah all of your comments show how secualr and twitty y'all are.
dgal,
So which church isn't corrupt? Yours?
How do you know? Does your god tell you so?
Nothing like that ever happens in the Lutheran church!
I kinda wonder that when I read those pedophile preacher stories..
Of course it does CoCo. It happens everywhere -- Lutherans included. There were a couple of fairly big news ones in Athens (GA) and Lincoln (NE) a few years back.
Hey Hambone, I dont belong to any fricking church ok?...They are all corrupts...Beside that God does say so in the Bible...If you know how to read one...I was raised as a Cahtolic also, so yeah I do know alot about it...
You all might ask: Why would you allow this behavior in your very own living rooms. The TV shows more today than you can get anywhere.. I don't see any of you protecting your children from this. You always want to blame God, shame on you all. I guess this is a liberal thing, always want to blame someone other than the real culprit..
dgal,
Calm down. Just asking some questions; no need to question my reading skills (is that a violation of the CoH?). I too was raised Catholic and have read the bible thoroughly many times.
My question is how do you know all the other churches are corrupt, but your beliefs are not?
What makes your beliefs special? Have you spoken directly to god?
No I havent spoken directly to God, it is call faith...It is what I truly believe in, Jeus Christ...He died for our sins so that we may go to heaven...Only those that believe in Him...We are all sinners...Only thru Jesus can we be saved...What part of the Bible do you not understand?
"It ain't the parts of the Bible that I can't understand that bother me, it is the parts that I do understand."
(Mark Twain / 1835-1910)
So what's different about your faith than that of these "corrupted" churches? How do you know you're right and they're wrong?
Or does Faith = Arrogance?
I Know I am right because I believed in what Jesus said...It is what I believe, ok? If you believe in something else then more power to you...I am not here to try to convince you that my way of belief is better than yours, ok? You beleive what you want and I believe what I want...Also Jesus is not corrupted and if you understood the Bible then you wouldnt be arguing with me about my belief...Peace
Faith=Belief :)
Alright, I'll stop arguing with you about your belief as long as you stop referring to other religions as "a corrupt religion". See, that's exactly what you claim you are not here for, i.e. " to try to convince you that my way of belief is better than yours".
You stop doing that, which is what i called you out for in the first place, and we'll agree to disagree about the rest, deal?
I didnt relies that you took it as if I was trying to convince you that my way of belief is better than yours...I thought I was just voicing my opinion...But anyway I can agree to disagree, it is a deal...I just have one question for you though...What exactlly do you believe in?
I'm an atheist.
I thought so...Anyway, I just want to say that I enjoyed chatting with you or should I say arguing with you...:)
I sincerely wish you a Happy and Healthy New Year, stay well...Maybe we will meet up on another comment board...Salud
Uncle Bill... forward this one to your logic department:
What is the point of praying for protection if God is subjecting you to the free will of others?
Hambone, one more thing, I have alot of friends and some family members that are atheists and they have no qualms with me saying that all relligion are corrupted...actually they agreed with me...You are a unique atheist...
dgal,
Since I don't believe in any gods, who am I to say that a religion is corrupted, since I don't even believe in it's basic premise?
ham, you are right who are to say anything about religion, even though you dont believe in its basic premise...I think I know where this is coming from...have a nice life...
Well,at least they didn't have to Frisk Him!
Body cavity search
They didn't frisk him ..... they just told him to beat it.
they knew at a glance he not armed...
He was packing a starters pistol
No hidden weapons....
None visible anyway
Just a toy pee-shooter.
Thank goodness that all he had was a limp organ and not a loaded gun!
That is frightening that someone would barge into the church in that manner, with the intent of making himself known. What next? Will all clergy have to carry fire arms to protect the congregation? These people were lucky that this nut case was an exhibitionist, and not a shooter.
The truth is that we are not safe anywhere we congregate, whether it is a church, a school, or a shopping mall, or a concert. We are fortunate that all the foreign terrorists seem to want to target big things, like airplanes. They seem to be single minded about that. It is our American made crazies that target us where we live.
Is this a great country, or what?
No. These people were lucky that the dumb-ass that forgot to lock the door, didn't allow a shooter in.
Then again, if they really wanted to kill those inside, the shooter could have just waited until people started to leave.
NYMike, and you're calling who a dumb-ass???
This is a church usually they are not locked it kind of defeats the purpose.
The police chased him around until they caught him by the organ.
That's a good one BMCM!!
cgtrav: Try to read the article: the Rev said the door was supposed to be locked.,
Such a trusting religion! Lock the doors?
BMCM9 - Best comment of the day! ROFLMAO!
Just throw him in the nearest icy lake! If he makes it to shore, make him run ten miles in the same bare state in which he entered the church. Here we go again spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on an idiot!
I like that...an on-the-spot correction, otherwise, how would he know he did anything wrong?
The church has it's own brand of punishment.......say thirty hail mary and see him in church Sunday.
20 charges eh? well that ought to hold em for what 2-3 days? less if the jail is over crowded, its amazing how quick some pseudo scientist....er i mean....shrink, can pronounce someone "cured and no longer a threat" when it comes to jail space. .....one bed...feds will pay 150 a day for the space, one nutjob who is broke, which one do you believe gets the space?
did he keep hollering...i was in the pool...i was in the pool.....
Story = disturbing (sorry the children had to see that!)
Scooter's & CD's comments = me laughing my butt off which is a great way to start my day! Thank you!
I will never understand why anyone wants to "expose" themselves to others.
gm Tramp
I see you were up late last night. Gotta hangover?
Agreed. My parents taught me not to draw attention to my shortcomings.
He's probably applying to be a priest!
My thoughts, exactly. Exposing himself to 8-year-olds? Check. "Superbly qualified. Ordain that man."
he thought he would fit in at this catholic church, what the preachers get to but i dont, not fair....
I wondered how long it would take the fools to start posting. #10.
Or play the organ.
The man was armed too.
He had a pee-shooter.
Now, that was funny!
surprised NBC didn't mention that as an "assault style" weapon.
It might have been Scooter, if his magazine was loaded with about a twelve pack before the assault.
G-morning Scooter,
It "is" and assault style weapon. It just depends on what type of assault you're talking about...
Maybe he left his AR-15 in the car...with his clothes.
It was too little to notice...
Single-shot weapons don't fit the definition.
At least it must have been fairly easy to see that he didn't have a gun!
I live twenty miles south of this town. And one thing you have to know about this place is "IT IS FULL OF STANGE PEOPLE" . When I was young and on the prowl for females that was one town no guys in their right mind would go to. It was allways said there was something in the water it still must be there.
Are they going to try and push a penis ban now????????
Already been implemented at my house.
Yes, make him check in his gun.
Maybe ....... if they think they can pull it off.
I knew a guy who was going to marry a contortionist...until she broke it off.
I know hollywood stars that made a living from porn and nudity could now make a video calling for action. Not one more
Church doors, locked? Ok, what happens if there's a fire while all them people are in there -- and they can't get out fast enough because the damn doors are locked?
Besides, GOD made us humans naked. It's more than just a bit presumptuous of us to tell him that our naked bodies -- HIS creations -- are too freaking shameful or ugly and have to be covered up.
Hey Quacked up guy, IF you have ever been in a church or public building (other than a prison) all doors (even when locked) have a push bar that automatically opens the door when hit from the INSIDE.
Didn't he also want them covered up after they ate that apple?
they should have beat the "hell" out of him before calling the police....alot of naked men storys the past few days...waiting for the naked lady storys..
It's a good thing he didn't discharge his weapon.
OK, time to control this outbreak of nudity. Outlaw arses more than 30" round! All guns must be properly holstered! Post signs declaring our schools to be nudity free zones. This pervert would probably have been discharging his weapon if it hadn't been jammed somewhere.
Seriously, do we have an outbreak of contagious insanity in this country? Seems you hear things like this more and more. Maybe this is really what the Mayan "end of times" was about - the end of the times of reason and beginning the age of insanity!
Seriously... what's up with all the "naked man" stories these days -- in winter, no less??? Has it become a "thing"? Is there something in the water?
I'm all for consenting adults getting freaky... but please, stay out of schools and other places where freakiness is not welcome by non-consenting non-adults. Perhaps cities ought to establish designated "nudity zones" for those who want to hang out in their birthday suits...
Not what I would like to see church.
It's time to get serious about the mind altering drugs doctor/pushers are dispensing.
Read the damn side effects on the bottle of drugs your pusher/doctor wants you to buy. The American drug cartels are trying to get all Americans on some kind of drug for life.
Ah, yes... I see on this bottle of Advil, "May cause uncontrollable urge to strip naked and run into a room full of little kids..."
advil is bought over the counter. NOT through a pusher/doctor.
“She said it was scary. She said it was sudden.” -- what makes you think 'she' is not talking about herself as context?
Police arrested Gary Pohronezny, 41, of Brooklyn, Conn., at the church. O’Neill said Pohronezny was known to police. -- well then, I guess that it's sad and settled.. we all know what a nut-case Pohronezny is.. Really? Known to police how? Police have liared him before?
What was his motive for going into the church? Why did he have no clothes.. Did somebody steal them? Was he going into the church seeking clothing? Was it an emergency? Have you never seen Monty Python's Life of Brian? Perhaps there were circumstances that put him there. Perhaps he doesn't have the motive that you think.
I certainly can't tell from this article what happened, except that women lie and police liar people and people like to believe what they like to believe. Other than that, I know that a naked man entered a church and that by-standers saw him.
Let me venture a suggestion.. The next time a police officer claims that a person is "known to the police", find out whether the person is homeless. If that is the case, never hire that person. Being known to the police, or being homeless is not something that you should be hired out of. After all, the office that sees that person around already makes a liar out of them for being there. There's no need to beat the liar at a job, by hiring that liar. I hope this makes sense.
Maybe it was laundry day...
Wow, Beans. You should take Tumbleweed's advice.
Well it's a good thing he didn't have a STROKE.
Just one MORE good reason to cary,,Im just sayin
he was carrying. Just not the type of gun you have.
Is Connecticut trying to be the new Florida?
He plays the organ every Sunday.
Usually it's the priests that are exposing themselves to children in the churches, not strangers off the streets.
Was he a priest? Or did we check that out?
Sounds very typical of a gay/homo individual.
douchebag...WTF is your obsession with the sexual orientation of these people? This is the same exact post you keep carpet bombing blogs with.
Are you a closet homo? You do know that those who yap the loudest against homosexuality usually have something to hide themselves?
F*cking ignorant moron.
What an ignorant piece of @!$%# thing to say. Straight people do the exact same things and more of it. Sexual orientation has nothing to do with walking naked into a church.
criminy, the disease is spreading all over creation! people rending their clothes, tossing away all worldly goods, running naked thru the streets, jumping into freezing water. oops, wait, jumping into freezing water is ok.
That imprisoned FLDS pastor (the one with 600 children from 200 different interbred 12 year old wives) is behind this, i'm sure of it!
Must be a 'sign' from the creator?
Bwahahahahaha!