A burglar armed with an axe got more than he expected when he broke into a California church on Thanksgiving morning, only to encounter a pastor skilled in martial arts, according to police.
Pastor Nick Neves responded to a security alarm at First Family Church in Antioch, California, around 3 a.m. on November 28. When he arrived, he found the 46-year-old intruder inside.
“I shouted for him to stop, told him the police were coming, and he ran,” Neves recounted to NBC News. “I grabbed him, and we ended up wrestling in the church parking lot.”
With his training in mixed martial arts, including jiu-jitsu and kickboxing, Neves was able to overpower the man without causing injury. “I just focused on wearing him out because I knew I could outlast him,” Neves explained.
The struggle lasted around 15 minutes before the suspect, whose identity has not been released, gave up and was arrested by police. Officers discovered an axe, which the intruder had used to break a window to enter the church.
“Instead of repenting, the burglar chose to fight with the pastor,” police stated. “What he didn’t know was that the pastor would win the battle, holding him down until police arrived.”
Neves reflected on the situation, expressing regret over the intruder’s choices. “If he had come a few days earlier, he would have received food and care,” Neves said. “But instead, he chose to destroy property and harm the ministry.”
