Crimesider
Crimesider
November 28, 2012 9:13 AM

Chicago pastor has a stalker, police say

By
Barry Leibowitz
Topics
Daily Blotter

Lidia Kuzniar, left, is charged with stalking Father Michael Pfleger, right

/ Cook County Sheriff via CBS Chicago
(CBS) CHICAGO - A fiery Chicago South Side pastor says he believes a woman accused of stalking him is mentally ill. Father Michael Pfleger told CBS Chicago his encounters with 55-year-old Lidia Kuzniar "just got to be really crazy."

Kuzniar, off Deerfield, Ill., is being held without bond, claiming her pursuit of Pfleger was part of God's plan for her to be with the pastor.

Police say when Kuzniar showed up at services at St. Sabina Catholic Church on Sunday, Nov. 18, she was violating an order of protection Father Pfleger had taken out against her earlier in the month.

Kuzniar had previously been arrested at St. Sabina's on Nov. 8 on a trespassing charge, CBS Chicago reported.

Two days later, she was ordered by a court to stay away from Pfleger but showed up again the next day, Nov. 11.

That time, a misdemeanor stalking charge was added. Now after turning up against services just over a week ago, she's charged with felony stalking.

"She would just come running to the altar and try to grab me and say she had to be with me, God told her she had to be with me, and she has nothing to lose and stay out of her way," Pfleger told CBS Chicago. "It just got to be really crazy."

And scary, he says.

"We'd try to close the office at the end of the night and she'd (go) limp on the floor and said she wasn't moving," Pfleger said.

At one point, Pfleger says two members of the church who are psychologists tried to talk to Kuzniar.

"They, along with the police, both said this is now out of control and it could be very violent to herself or somebody else," he said.

A judge has ordered Kuzniar to be held without bond.

"This whole thing is very sad, and I hope she gets the help," Father Pfleger says.


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