May 14, 2009 7:49 pm US/Eastern
Mamaroneck Priest Arrested Faces DWI Charges
Arrest Comes 5 Months After Predecessor Was Arrested On Sex Assault Charges
MAMARONECK, N.Y. (CBS) ―
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Mug shot of Father Victor Gimenez, a Mamaroneck priest arrested for suspicion of DWI.
CBS
A double-dose of shock and sadness at a Catholic church in Westchester: five months after the arrest of one priest, his replacement is also taken in by police.
Leaving Mamaroneck Village Court with his lawyer, Father Victor Gimenez said nothing, but did manage a smile, unlike the grim face he presented to police as they took his mug shot on Wednesday. Gimenez allegedly had twice the limit of alcohol in his system when he was stopped by police at 1 a.m. for driving his car erratically.
Gimenez has been assigned to the St. Vito parish for just a few months now. He came there to minister to the Hispanic community after the December arrest of Father Richard Ordonez, accused of sexually assaulting a woman who came to him for marriage counseling/
"Well priests are people too, what can I tell you, [they're] gonna have the same issues other people are. I'm sorry to hear about this," one parishioner told CBS 2.
But some wonder if the back-to-back arrests will shake people's faith.
"I think you know people get afraid, you know, they don't know what to expect," a Mamaroneck resident said.
When Father Ordonez was arrested on sex assault charges, the Archdiocese of New York immediately suspended his permission to perform priestly duties. Because the charges against Father Gimenez are much less serious, he may be allowed to continue to serve after the archdiocese completes a review of the case against him.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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