Crime & Safety
After Tussle With Police, Minister, Family Face 12 Charges: WATCH
Caught on video: A minister, his wife and son have been indicted on 12 charges, including aggravated assault, for fighting with police.
LILBURN, GA — A minister at Iglesia Cristiana Evangelica, his wife, and their teenage son have been indicted on 12 charges, including aggravated assault and willfully obstructing law enforcement officers, for an altercation that happened in front of the church in March.
Wilmer Cruz, 38, his wife, Cristina, and their son, Wilmer Cruz Jr., 17, have been charged after they attacked Lilburn police officers, according to police. The indictment was issued Thursday.
Police were originally called to the church, off Lawrenceville Highway in Lilburn, to retrieve a 16-year-old runaway girl at the request of the girl's mother, the indictment says. The three family members were charged with interference of custody for allegedly keeping the girl from her mother, Ana Cardenas.
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Captured on cell phone video, Sgt. Ryan Long can be heard telling the family to get back before they make contact with him. He then says, "Get off me," before taking out his night stick. Cruz and his son still allegedly push Long against a wall. A woman can be heard repeatedly screaming, "Stop. There's kids. Stop. Stop. There's kids. It's a church," as a dog barks in the background.
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“I was slammed against the glass door, hitting my head up against the glass and Mr. (Wilmer) Cruz was choking me to the point I couldn't breath,” Long told The Atlanta Journal Constitution.
The video shows Cristina Cruz allegedly taking Long’s Taser and pointing it at him. Long can be heard saying, "Get on the ground. You stole my Taser. You're under arrest," in the video. Cristina Cruz was charged with removing the weapon from a public official.
Wilmer Cruz Jr. faces six counts, including one for taking an officer’s radio, which, police say, prevented Long from calling for backup. The charge was hindering an emergency telephone call.
Cruz and his son remain in the Gwinnett County Jail. Christina Cruz was bonded out.
Photo and video courtesy YouTube
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