A would-be thief interrupted Sunday mass at a Queens Catholic church to demand cash at knifepoint but a quick-thinking deacon just wasn’t having it, cops said.
The thief knocked on the door of St. Mary Star of the Sea and St Gertrude Catholic Church as the Beach 38th St. house of worship located near Beach Channel Drive in Far Rockaway was scheduled to begin its 9:30 a.m. mass, police said.
A deacon answered the door to find the crook knife in hand, demanding cash.
Instead of handing over his money, the deacon acted fast to protect himself and the flock, slamming the door shut and calling 911, cops said.
Police arrested Miguel Bonano, 64, at the scene less than 20 minutes later.
During the arrest, police recovered a knife from Bonano’s jacket pocket, which the victim identified as the stickup weapon.
Bonano later told investigators, “I took out a knife and I tried to rob the guy,” court documents show.
Bonano is charged with attempted robbery and criminal possession of a weapon. He was held on $10,000 cash bail at his arraignment Sunday.
