A California pastor is facing felony charges after prosecutors say he shoved an elderly church woman down a flight of cement steps in a violent encounter that left her with multiple broken bones.
The shocking case has sparked outrage among church members and local activists, who say the alleged victim, longtime church elder Elise McTaw, is still recovering while the pastor at the center of the case continues preaching every Sunday.
According to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, Pastor Lorenz Roseman of Beulah Land Missionary Baptist Church in Gardena was arrested in October 2025 after allegedly pushing McTaw down a set of cement stairs and through a metal gate outside the church.
Prosecutors charged Roseman with felony assault by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury. Officials say the alleged attack involved serious violence and showed what court documents described as a high degree of cruelty, viciousness, and callousness. Roseman has pleaded not guilty.
Community activist Najee Ali, who says he was asked by McTaw’s family to speak out, has been publicly demanding Roseman’s removal from church leadership.
In a fiery public statement, Ali accused the pastor of violently pushing a senior citizen and said the incident should not be ignored or brushed aside. He also argued that Roseman should no longer be allowed to lead the congregation while criminal charges are still pending.
Surveillance video shared online by Ali allegedly shows McTaw being shoved by a man identified as Roseman. McTaw reportedly suffered a broken wrist and broken toes in the fall.
The incident has clearly shaken people close to the church.
At a recent press conference, McTaw said she has not been the same since the alleged assault, describing the pain of being hurt by someone she trusted. Another church member, Dr. Ta-Taneisha Thames, bluntly said Roseman should be removed, saying no one has the right to put their hands on another person.
Roseman, however, is pushing back. In a statement to KTLA, he claimed he had previously accused influential church members of unethical or illegal conduct and removed them from their positions after looking into the matter.
He suggested the criminal case is part of a broader effort to force him out, claiming his opponents were attacking his character and using the legal system against him after failing to remove him through church procedures.
Even so, critics say the central issue remains the same: an elderly woman was seriously injured, and the pastor accused of causing those injuries is still in the pulpit.
Roseman is scheduled to return to court on March 30 for a preliminary hearing.
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