Police release body camera footage after arresting man wielding gun in metro church

Oklahoma City Police Department released body camera footage on Wednesday showing the arrest of a man who entered a metro church armed with an automatic handgun last week. 

Armando Rodriguez said he was with his children walking into Sacred Heart Catholic Church when he saw the suspect, 40-year-old Fernando Villegas, waving a firearm in his direction. 

"We tell him we got kids over here and he said, 'I didn't know that you guys have kids over here.' So, that's why we got a little bit scared," Rodriguez explained. 

Rodriguez said the man was yelling for help, saying people were chasing him, while waving the gun in various directions. 

“I was thinking of my kids, because if he's gonna take one of my kids, what's gonna happen?" Rodriguez wondered. 

Thankfully, police were en route, he shared. 

According to the police report, the 911 caller stated the man with the gun was inside the church basement. While police were on scene, the suspect fled the basement. 

Police located the suspect in the street, where they apprehended him. 

Officers said Villegas was sweating and paranoid, telling them that someone was coming to kill him. 

The responding officer stated in the police report that they believe Villegas was under the influence of a substance. 

Although the suspect was arrested, Rodriguez said his daughter feels nervous about going back to church, so he and his wife continue to reassure her of their safety. 

"It's a pretty good neighborhood. We've never seen this guy over here,” Rodriguez explained.