- Chad Legare, 42, has been charged with attempted murder after he allegedly attacked Rev. Robert Wapenski
- During a bond hearing Legare accused the priest of raping a woman, but the alleged victim denied the claims
- The Catholic Diocese of Fargo said that Legare had contacted them before attacking the priest and they reached out to the alleged victim
- Legare is being held on a $250,000 bond and already has two misdemeanors
A Minnesota man has been been charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault and burglary after he allegedly attacked a priest.
Chad Legare, 42, was arrested on Tuesday in Alexandria after he allegedly assaulted Rev. Robert Wapenski at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Anamoose, North Dakota.
However, during his bond hearing on Thursday Legare accused the reverend of being a rapist.
Chad Legare, 42 (left), has been charged with attempted murder after he allegedly attacked Rev. Robert Wapenski (right)
‘As long as John Doe didn’t rape any other women, he’s safe from me,’ Legare said in court after the judge asked if he posed a threat to anyone, according to inforum.com.
The priest is referred to as John Doe in court documents, which also state that Wapenski was strangled on January 30 but survived.
The Catholic Diocese of Fargo said they had previously received a report from Legare with the allegations against the priest. When they contacted the alleged victim, she denied the claims.
Legare allegedly assaulted the priest at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Anamoose, North Dakota
The Diocese said in a statement Thursday that it’s ‘cooperating with law enforcement into the investigation of the assault of Father Wapenski and its surrounding circumstances. The Diocese encourages anyone with knowledge of a crime concerning a church worker to report the crime to appropriate authorities.’
St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church serves a town of about 250 people. The reverend is known to his patrons as ‘Father Bob.’
Legare is being held on a $250,000 bond. If found guilty, he could face up to 35 years in prison.
He also has a criminal record in Minnesota includes a felony domestic assault by strangulation charge in July 2015 that was dismissed after he pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor, according to Duluth News Tribune.