Mexico: Man who stabbed priest during mass arrested

May 16 (UPI) -- Mexico's attorney general said police arrested a 28-year-old man who stabbed a priest after attempting to slit his throat during mass in Mexico City.

Mexico's Attorney General's Office, or PGR, said the Rev. Miguel Angel Machorro is in a stable but "delicate" condition after the attack Monday at the iconic Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral -- the largest cathedral in the Americas.

"The accused, who called himself John Rock Schild, referred himself before the ministerial authority as an American artist and that he would use his right to remain silent," the PGR said in a statement. "The aggressor took the priest by the neck and tried to slit him. Thankfully, father Miguel Angel Machorro was able to escape, although he was wounded near the lung with a sharp object."

The PGR said the suspect, who authorities will attempt to identify and who will undergo psychological evaluations, is estimated to be about 28 years old. The attack occurred as the priest was giving communion, which allowed the suspect to approach the priest without suspicion.

The PGR said authorities have no evidence to suggest the attack at the church visited by thousands of local and foreign Catholic followers is terror related.