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Robbed at gunpoint, pastor fingers attacker

Who says there is no such thing as divine justice?
A Queens pastor must have felt somewhat vindicated when he intervened to stop an assault happening at the pizzeria next door to his church, only to recognize the attacker as was one of the three men who allegedly robbed him at gunpoint just a few hours earlier.
Reverend Melvin Artis, 67, of the Greater Universal Highway Deliverance Church at 200-12 Linden Boulevard, St. Albans observed a young man assaulting a 43-year-old woman at the neighboring Alpha Pizzeria at around 8 p.m. on Tuesday, May 8.
Reverend Artis joined several passersby, including an off-duty school safety officer, in rushing to her aid. As he pulled the man off the unidentified victim, he recognized him as one of the robbers who had just relieved him of one month’s rent.
Rafael Tavares, owner of the pizzeria at 200-14 Linden Boulevard, said Reverend Artis recognized the man immediately. “Oh, that’s the guy that attacked me,” Tavares heard him say.
Earlier, Reverend Artis had been downstairs at his church preparing for a Bible study when he heard the door upstairs click shut, published reports said. He went to investigate and found three young men had entered his sanctuary.
While one put a gun to him, a second rifled through the pastor’s pockets and found over $1,500 in cash - part of it from the church collection plate.
“The guy who went through my pockets said ‘shoot him,’ ” said Reverend Artis, according to published reports. “ And the third guy said ‘No, let’s not shoot him. Let’s get out of here. Let’s go.’ ”
After the robbery, the men fled through a back door and got away.
However, the desire for a slice of pizza at Alpha apparently overrode intellect when one of the alleged robbers returned to the scene of the crime.
After being recognized, the man, identified by police as Oluwafemi Olowofela, 26, of 120-13 194th Street, fled. Police said the off-duty officer gave chase and held Olowofela until on-duty officers arrived to arrest him.
At press time, Olowofela was being held pending arraignment on charges of assault in the second degree, menacing in the second degree, resisting arrest, criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree and harassment in the second degree, according to a spokesperson for Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown. He faces up to seven years in prison if convicted of the charges.
Investigation into the robbery is ongoing.
Tavares described the neighborhood as “just any other in Queens” and not particularly dangerous. He added, “I know the pastor - he’s a very nice guy.”