Former Pastor Chokes Stranger's Baby in Walmart

A former New Jersey pastor has been sentenced to prison after choking a 4-month-old baby inside a Kansas Walmart.

Oleh Zhownirovych, 55, was sentenced Thursday to 11 months in prison and six months in the Johnson County Jail, to be served consecutively, according to The Kansas City Star.

At a preliminary hearing, the baby's mother said that she had been standing in line on Oct. 14, 2016, with her 4-month-old daughter in a car seat in a shopping cart when Zhownirovych approached her and took the car seat from the cart. He proceeded to put the car seat handle around his neck so that he was facing the infant.

"I'm going to take her. Call 911," Zhownirovych allegedly told the unnamed mother before he began choking the infant and moving towards the exit of the store.

Those nearby immediately intervened, forcing the baby away from Zhownirovych and subduing him until police arrived.

Zhownirovych had been charged with felony aggravated battery, misdemeanor battery, and kidnapping. The kidnapping charge was later dropped as part of a plea agreement with Zhownirovych, who is a former pastor of a Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Clifton, New Jersey. In December, he had pleaded no contest to the charges.

The baby had not been seriously injured during the incident.