ANTIOCH, Calif. — When a potential burglar intruded a California church on Thanksgiving, he faced an unforeseen challenge: A pastor, skilled in martial arts and committed to protecting his place of worship.
Pastor Nick Neves came to First Family Church in Antioch early on Thursday morning after an alarm went off, he told CNN.
Upon his arrival, he encountered “a shattered window and a door left ajar.” According to a Facebook post by the Antioch Police Department, the man had used an axe to smash a window and gain entry into the church.
“As I was entering the door, the intruder emerged with some of our belongings, and I apprehended him, informing him that he was effectively being put under citizen’s arrest, that law enforcement was on its way, and he was required to cease his actions and wait for them,” Neves, who has been associated with the church since 2005, recounted to CNN.
“And he wasn’t having that,” the pastor said. “So he tried to run, and I restrained him, and he began to fight with me. And so we tussled for quite a while before the cops were able to get there.”
Neves told CNN he has practiced martial arts, particularly Brazilian jiu-jitsu, since he was in high school. But he never expected he would have to use his skills in the real world.
“It was never my goal to hurt the man or to do him harm,” he said. “I was just hoping to keep him from getting away so that justice could be done and our church could be protected.”
During the unexpected wrestling match, Neves said he focused on restraining the man and making sure he couldn’t hurt him.
The pastor was able to restrain the attempted burglar until the police arrived and arrested him.
The Antioch Police Department did not name the suspect but told CNN he was still in custody Friday and the department will file burglary, robbery and battery charges related to the break-in.
Neves said that the suspect had likely cost the church a few thousand dollars in damages.
“I don’t have hatred towards him,” he said. “Hopefully, he’ll have to sit and think about this, and it’ll change his heart and mind, and he’ll think twice the next time he’s tempted to go out and rob from others.”
Neves said the break-in seemed to be “opportunistic” and that the suspect had tried to break open a vending machine but was unable to. Instead, he had grabbed “haphazard” items like tools and some food left over from the church’s Saturday free food distributions.
“If he came to church on Sunday, I’d be happy to share the gospel with him,” Neves said of the suspect.
