Teen Arrested After Injuring Stepfather at Church

Update: 10-30-12, 10:23 a.m. (additional information)

Update: 10-29-12, 4:36 p.m. (bond set)

A teenager is sitting in jail after allegedly injuring his stepfather with a folding pocket knife at church Sunday afternoon, authorities said.

Christian Alexander Guerndt, 17, has been arrested and charged with aggravated assault.

The incident happened in between services at Mercy Fellowship Church located at the intersection of Tolbert and Dogwood Streets in Cumming around 4:30 p.m., according to Sgt. Bryan Zimbardi with Cumming Police.

"They got into a verbal argument inside," Zimbardi said.

The two eventually made their way outside of the church where the argument continued. Zimbardi said the teen then pulled his knife and threatened to stab his stepfather, Ronnie Rapert.

"He [Guerndt] ended up cutting his neck," said Zimbardi. But the injury "appeared to be more of a scratch then a cut or a stab."

Rapert was taken to North Fulton Hospital in stable condition and his injuries from the attack appeared non-life threatening at the time of the incident. But he was apparently having difficulty breathing. Zimbardi said this was unrelated to the knife injury.

There were no other injuries involved in this incident and the church was otherwise empty at the time of the crime.

According to a jail spokesperson, Guerndt is at the Forsyth County Detention Center and bond has been set for $11,100.

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