Utilities in the church have been cut off because of non-payment, landlord says.
Jairon Pena. (Somerset County Prosecutor's Office)SOMERVILLE -- The pastor of a borough church who authorities say faked his assault last week was facing financial difficulties, according to his landlord.
David E. Rouse Sr., pastor of the New Covenant Missionary Baptist Church, said Jairon Pena, 36, of Somerville was renting space in his church on East Main Street and had fallen behind on his rent after he recently increased it.
Pena has been accused by authorities of faking an assault in which he was bound and gagged and discovered with a plastic bag over his head and a misspelled Islamic phrase on his chest and back.
Police became suspicious when they found inconsistencies in his account, and because he had no visible injuries consistent with an assault, authorities said.
Pena had been paying $1,500 a month to rent space for his church, Iglesia Cristiana Puerta del Cielo, but the rent was recently raised to $2,500 per month because Pena held services so frequently and ran up the utility bills, Rouse said. The utilities in the church, he said, had been disconnected and Pena, who usually held as many as four services per week, had his access to the church limited.
Pena paid Rouse $1,500 at the end of September but had fallen so far behind that he needed to pay another $1,500 in the first week of October, which he failed to do, Rouse said.
RELATED: Pastor faked assault, taped Islamic phrase on his body, cops say
Tuesday, Pena's wife, Ana, answered the door at the couple's West Spring Street home in Somerville and declined comment.
A neighbor, who refused to give his name, said the family recently moved into the home, where a church van, a minivan and a small sedan was parked in the driveway.
Rouse said Pena has been renting space in his church since last December and has a congregation of roughly 50 to 80 people. Initially, the congregation met once a week but services gradually increased, Rouse said.
"I thought he was a fine young man," Rouse said. "We would talk for hours. I'm shocked. I don't know what his motives were for allegedly doing what he did. I've called him and left messages. He used to call me right back but I haven't heard from him in a while.
"I tried to help him as much as I could but he kept increasing his usage of the church and I had to raise the rent."
Travis Harris, owner of Next Level Hair Studio in Somerville.Next Level Hair Studio, owned by Travis Harris, is the business next door to the church. Harris said Pena has a spirited and devoted congregation that oftentimes invited him over for dinner.
"His church is legit," Harris said. "They have music, they sing, they have the band playing. From what I saw, it was a good, loving congregation. They would invite me over when they had dinners. I don't know the pastor that well, though. I would just see his entering the church. He seemed cool."
PLUS: Police investigating incident at a Somerville church
On Oct. 30 at about 11:20 a.m., police said they responded to a 911 call at the New Covenant Missionary Baptist Church on a report of an individual, who was later identified as Pena, who had been assaulted and tied up.
New Covenant Missionary Baptist Church (Photo by Dave Hutchinson | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)When responding officers arrived, they found Pena with his hands loosely tied with a rope behind his back, legs tied, and a piece of cloth stuffed into his mouth, authorities said. He also had a plastic bag over his head, along with a piece of paper taped to his chest and back with a misspelled Islamic phrase, authorities have said.
Pena allegedly told investigators he was assaulted by two masked men and a masked woman around 10:30 a.m. when he went to the front door of the church to investigate a loud banging. In addition to the assault, Pena claimed the suspects also stomped on bibles while ridiculing his God.
Pena has been charged with third-degree false public alarm and fourth-degree false swearing and fictitious report to law enforcement, a disorderly persons offense. He was processed and released on his own recognizance pending a court appearance.
Dave Hutchinson may be reached at dhutchinson@njadvancemedia.com.Follow him on Twitter @DHutch_SL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
