Five men old enough to qualify for senior-citizen discounts foiled an armed robber and his accomplice this morning during the 8 a.m. Mass at Christ the King Church on E. Livingston Avenue.One churchgoer ended up at Grant Medical Center after being pistol-whipped in the back of the church while services for about 150 went on uninterrupted on the altar. "Our parishioners are not about to let anyone defile their church," said the Rev. Michael Lumpe, Christ the King pastor. "Kudos to those who didn't just sit and let it happen."
With parishioners' help, Columbus police arrested Wendell K. Hollingsworth, 43, of Hilliard, and Celeste M. Smith, 51, of the South Side, before 9 a.m. and charged them with aggravated robbery.
Bob, 67, of the East Side, was sitting with his wife, Carol, in the fifth row of the church when he heard an ex-nun behind him scream that a woman was trying to steal her coat. (The Dispatch is not printing their last name because the family is concerned about reprisals.) Bob turned and saw Smith in a church pew, grabbing purses from the seats in front of her and stuffing them in a plastic bag.
He ran to the back of the church, grabbed Smith by the shoulders and began leading her to the foyer. Hollingsworth, who had also been in the church, waved a gun in the air above his head and announced, "This is a robbery," according to Columbus police.
Hollingsworth demanded that Bob release Smith. When he refused, Hollingsworth struck him several times in the head until he released the woman.
Hollingsworth waved the gun in the air a second time, demanding money. When Hollingsworth pointed the loaded, Russian handgun at his chest, Bob raised his hands in the air and, "I said, 'I give up.'" Moments later, four other parishioners "came through the doors like football players," Carol said. They tackled Hollingsworth and piled on top of him as he squirmed to get free. The four, who were between their late 50s and early 70s, stayed atop Hollingsworth until police arrived moments later.
"One guy, I betcha in his 70s, was laying into the bad guy with no fear at all," Bob said. "Those four were heroes. They knew he had a gun."
| Tackled the miscreant and thumped him good. Excellent! |
Smith pleaded guilty in 2004 to forgery, receiving stolen property and theft. Hollingsworth was arrested 12 times between 1981 and 1992 on charges including aggravated burglary, kidnapping, robbery and safecracking.
| Could we perhaps keep them in prison for a while this time? |
The robbery began late in the Mass, after the members of the congregation had contributed their weekly offerings. Carol said that because Smith and Hollingsworth didn't know to demand money from the collection plate, "You could tell they weren't churchgoing people."