(CNN) — When a would-be burglar broke in to a California church on Thanksgiving day, he encountered an sudden impediment: A pastor, skilled in martial arts and decided to defend his home of worship.
Pastor Nick Neves got here to First Household Church in Antioch early on Thursday morning after an alarm went off, he informed CNN.
When he arrived, he found “a smashed window and a door propped open.” A person had used an axe to interrupt a church window and entry the constructing, the Antioch Police Division stated in a Fb put up.
“As I used to be going into the door, the perpetrator got here out with a handful of our items, and I finished him, and I informed him he was primarily beneath citizen’s arrest, that the police could be there, and he must cease and look ahead to them,” Neves, who has been concerned with the church since 2005, informed CNN.
“And he wasn’t having that,” the pastor stated. “So he tried to run, and I restrained him, and he started to battle with me. And so we tussled for fairly some time earlier than the cops have been capable of get there.”
Neves informed CNN he has practiced martial arts, significantly Brazilian jiu-jitsu, since he was in highschool. However he by no means anticipated he must use his expertise in the actual world.
“It was by no means my purpose to harm the person or to do him hurt,” he stated. “I used to be simply hoping to maintain him from getting away in order that justice could possibly be executed and our church could possibly be protected.”
Throughout the sudden wrestling match, Neves stated he targeted on restraining the person and ensuring he couldn’t harm him.
The pastor was capable of restrain the tried burglar till the police arrived and arrested him.
The Antioch Police Division didn’t identify the suspect however informed CNN he was nonetheless in custody Friday and the division will file housebreaking, theft and battery fees associated to the break-in.
Neves stated that the suspect had seemingly price the church just a few thousand {dollars} in damages.
“I don’t have hatred in direction of him,” he stated. “Hopefully, he’ll have to sit down and take into consideration this, and it’ll change his coronary heart and thoughts, and he’ll assume twice the following time he’s tempted to exit and rob from others.”
Neves stated the break-in appeared to be “opportunistic” and that the suspect had tried to interrupt open a merchandising machine however was unable to. As an alternative, he had grabbed “haphazard” objects like instruments and a few meals left over from the church’s Saturday free meals distributions.
“If he got here to church on Sunday, I’d be joyful to share the gospel with him,” Neves stated of the suspect.
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