Man Arrested For Trying To Set Stockton Pastor On Fire

STOCKTON (CBS13) –- A man was arrested for attempted murder after attempting to light a church associate pastor on fire and then stabbing him multiple times, according to Stockton police.

Police say the incident happened outside the Victory In Praise church on the 2800 block of Country Club Boulevard just before midnight on Wednesday.

The associate pastor, Derrick Satchell, was loading items into a vehicle after bible study when the suspect, 23-year-old Armando Flores, a transient from San Jose, poured a liquid onto him and then attempted to light him on fire with matches.

"I turned around to look, he pulled out a book of matches, struck it again, it didn't light and I grabbed him," Satchell said.

After the match didn't light, Satchell held on to Flores, who took out a large knife and stabbed him in the shoulder, neck, leg and hand, police say.

"He was just talking about, 'you sinners, all you sinners are going to hell,'" Satchell told CBS13's Andrea Menniti.

Other church members then came to help Satchell and held Flores down until police arrived.

Flores had been attending services at the church on and off for the last several weeks.

"I bought him lunch twice," another parishioners said. "He seemed nice, seemed like a genuine person trying to get his life back on track."

But parishioners say Flores got angry when everyone prayed for him after an outburst at a recent bible study.

Satchell said he holds no ill will toward his attacker.

"I would say to him right now that I forgive," he said.