A beloved Florida pastor was stabbed and killed by a person whom he allowed to stay contained in the church.
The suspect, recognized as 44-year-old James Dawkins, was charged with first-degree homicide for the demise of Antwane Lenoir, the pastor at Westview Baptist Church in Opa-locka, in a metropolis in Miami-Dade County, WSVN reported.
The sufferer’s cousin, Yovonka Bryant, informed the outlet Lenoir was serving to Dawkins, the church’s keyboard participant, with a dwelling association by letting him briefly keep on the property. Nonetheless, he just lately determined to finish their settlement and employed a locksmith to vary the locks.
“And the man obtained wind that he wouldn’t have wherever else to go, so he truly confirmed as much as the church, and I feel issues obtained to be heated between he and my cousin, and [Dawkins] ended up stabbing him,” Bryant defined in regards to the verbal dispute that reportedly occurred on Saturday, April 6, within the parking zone.
In response to the information station, 41-year-old Lenoir was struck within the neck a number of occasions and died on the scene. Dawkins fled however was later taken into custody the following day. He had a court docket look on Monday and is now at the moment being housed in a neighborhood jail with out bond.
Lenoir served as pastor and constructed a group on the church for about 15 years, his spouse Bree informed CBS Information. The couple, who’ve 4 kids, tied the knot twenty years in the past. Lenoir is well-known within the Miami-area for anti-violence work and mentoring youth and serving to household within the surrounding space close to his church and past.
“He was an excellent instance of a selfless particular person, a joy-filled individual,” Bree mentioned. “He at all times smiled, even when issues have been trying sort of grim or dreary, you wouldn’t realize it by his countenance.”
Miami-Dade County Public Faculties college board member Steve Gallon III referred to as Lenoir’s homicide a “mindless loss” on Sunday.
His cousin, Bryant, and different devastated group members, together with Opa-locka mayor, John Taylor II, echoed related sentiments.
“He was a really good man, and he would provide the shirt off his again,” Bryant informed WSVN. “He was so beneficiant and so type to lots of people.”
In an announcement posted on Fb, Taylor mentioned, “The Metropolis of Opa-locka grieves the lack of a Noble Man and good friend. We have been blessed to have this Nice Man as aside of our group, serving in lots of capacities to make sure that our residents had a voice. As a unified physique we pray that God strengthens his household, mates and ministry via these attempting time.”
