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Prayer group trespassed from Florida mall
People were told to leave the Mall at Millenia for singing and praying in the middle of the building's atrium on Wednesday. The leaders of the large group were told they'd be arrested if they come back.
ORLANDO, Fla. - People were told to leave the Mall at Millenia for singing and praying in the middle of the building's atrium on Wednesday. The leaders of the large group were told they would be arrested if they come back.
"I think anyone should be allowed to go to any mall they want and worship and ask people if they need healing and pray for people because we need more good in this world," said Jimmy Levy, a gospel singer from Miami. "There’s so much darkness."
"We’re going to go to the middle, we’re going to just worship the lord and preach the gospel and man, people gave their life to Christ yesterday," said Pastor Rich Lorenzo Jr. from the Remnant Revival Outreach Center in Apopka. "It was like a church service."
After 30 to 40 minutes of song and prayer, police and mall security handed Levi and Lorenzo pink slips, telling them to leave and that they could be arrested if they come back. The Orlando Police Department told FOX 35 trespass warnings were given without incident.
"As we were leaving, they gave us the pink slip telling us that we’re banned indefinitely from the mall, in a very nice manner though," Levy said.
While the group said the officers and security were kind, they claim the mall cranked up its music to cover their voices.
"It’s kind of alarming," Lorenzo said. "It’s definitely something that did hurt."
"I want people to not be ashamed of the gospel," Levy said.
A representative from the mall told FOX 35 News they were aware of what happened on Wednesday, but did not provide additional information or answer FOX 35's questions about the mall's policy on that sort of activity.
The mall is located on private property.