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	Las Vegas Priest Arrested on Attempted Murder Charges By Mary K. Brunskill All Headline News [Arizona] February 2, 2007 http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7006339436 Phoenix, AZ (AHN) - A Roman Catholic priest of a Las Vegas parish was arrested Thursday in Arizona on charges of attempted murder, according to Las Vegas police. The Rev. George Chaanine, 52, is accused of beating, groping and choking a female employee in the parish office of Our Lady of Las Vegas church. The alleged assault occurred on Jan. 26, and Chaanine has been a fugitive since that time. On Tuesday a judge issued a warrant for his arrest on attempted murder charges. Chaanine was arrested without incident by FBI agents Thursday in Apache Junction, located about 30 miles east of Phoenix, AP reports Phoenix FBI spokeswoman Deb McCarley said. The woman who claims the assault said Chaanine broke a full bottle of wine over her head while she was sitting at her desk, grabbed her by the hair and dragged her down a hallway toward his office. She lost consciousness during a struggle and was being groped by Chaanine when she woke up, according to the police report. Chaanine grabbed her throat before the attack suddenly stopped. The woman said he muttered that he was going to kill himself and left the church after saying he was going to call police. Bishop Joseph Pepe Roman Catholic Diocese of Las Vegas said in a statement: "We are relieved that Father Chaanine has been found and now justice can be served through the legal process. We have worked closely with the authorities and are hopeful that the information we provided proved helpful."
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