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A man reportedly declared himself as a “prophet called Warlock” at a Texas church before allegedly trying to draw a gun from his waistband with the intent to harm the pastor.
Emmanuel Ashono Mbwavi, 25, is now charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, two counts of illegal weapon possession in a public venue, and resisting arrest. This follows an incident on March 15 at Houston’s Eden Church, where a security guard managed to subdue him, according to a complaint referenced by Oxygen.
The Houston Police Department spokesperson informed Oxygen that Mbwavi had visited the church earlier that day but was asked to leave by church security. Undeterred, he re-entered through a different door and allegedly attempted to extract a firearm from his pocket while approaching a church staff member.
Emmanuel Mbwavi Allegedly Had Note Saying He Planned to “Kill” the Pastor
Prior to this alleged event, church security guard Fernando Romo observed Mbwavi trailing Pastor Jared Darby into the restroom, noting that Mbwavi entered and exited the restroom three times while Darby was inside, as stated in the complaint.
Earlier in the day, Pastor Darby had notified security about Mbwavi’s presence, recognizing him as the individual who had reportedly visited the church two months prior, distributing “disturbing flyers,” according to authorities.
Prosecutors alleged in the court documents that Pastor Abraham Guajardo also spotted Mbwavi—who was carrying a black backpack—inside the church and went to speak with him, asking the 25-year-old what “business” he had at the church and describing him as being “disengaged and anxious” during the conversation.
Meanwhile, Romo stood nearby observing their activity.
As the two men were talking, Romo saw Mbwavi “attempting to pull the pistol from his pant pocket, but the hammer of the pistol snagged on the pant material,” he told authorities according to the complaint. Prosecutors said Guajardo “froze in fear” and thought he was going to die.
Believing Mbwavi planned to shoot Guajardo and other church members, Romo tackled Mbwavi to the ground, noticing that Mbwavi was also holding his cell phone in his left hand and seemed to be pressing the screen, Romo told investigators.
“While on the ground, the Defendant verbally counted down causing Complainant Romo to believe that he would detonate a bomb when he reached zero,” the complaint read. “The defendant also shouted ‘I’m going to kill Jared, who is a fake prophet. I am a prophet called Warlock.’”
During the scuffle, Mbwavi allegedly dropped the pistol and Romo was able to grab his phone, at which point Romo saw that Mbwavi actually had the Notes app open on the device.
They discovered a memo inside the app that said “Kill Jared Darby in the downstairs restroom with bag in hand,” along with specific information about Darby’s vehicle and license plate number, according to the court records.
Along with the loaded .22 caliber revolver, prosecutors said Mbwavi was also carrying 100 live rounds in his backpack.
According to the complaint, “Complainant Guajardo believes Complainant Romo’s quick actions saved his life and the lives of other church members.”
The Houston Police spokesperson told Oxygen that the church’s security team was able to detain Mbwavi until police could arrive to make the arrest.
Mbwavi—who is listed as “homeless” in court records reviewed by Oxygen—is currently being held on a $50,000 bond. Oxygen reached out his appointed defense attorney Tim Ballengee, but did not receive an immediate response.