A California pastor trained in Brazilian jiu-jitsu proved to be an unexpected obstacle for an axe-wielding burglar who broke into a church on Thanksgiving Day. Pastor Nick Neves of First Family Church in Antioch was alerted by a security alarm early Thursday morning. Upon arriving at the church, he came face-to-face with an intruder who had shattered a window using an axe. Undeterred by the weapon, Neves stood his ground as the burglar, whose identity has not been revealed, attempted to confront him. The burglar wrestled with the pastor for 12 to 15 minutes before losing steam, and the police showed up.
"When the pastor at First Family Church on Contra Loma responded to check an alarm in the early hours of Thanksgiving, he was not expecting to confront a burglar, but that's what happened. When the burglar saw his wicked deeds had been discovered, he decided to fight with the pastor instead of repent.," wrote the Antioch Police Department on Facebook.
"What he did not know was the pastor would win this battle of good and evil, and he held down the perp until APD arrived and placed the man in custody. We are thankful today that the pastor was uninjured during this incident and hopeful that with amazing community members like we have been highlighting lately, we can turn the tide on crime in our city."
"I shouted at him to stop and that the police were on their way, and he ran, and I grabbed a hold of him, and we ended up wrestling in the parking lot of the church," 46-year-old Pastor Nick Neves told NBC News.
"I like to stay fit, and I studied some jujitsu and kickboxing, and I have a mixed martial arts background," he said. "So it was very helpful to be able to grapple with this gentleman without having to do much harm to him."
"I was able to pin him to the ground, and he got up and tried to get away several times, but basically, I was just trying to wear him out because I knew I could outlast him," Neves said.
