ANTIOCH, Calif. (CNN) – A California pastor determined to defend his house of worship fought off a would-be burglary with his jiu-jitsu training.
The incident happened on Thanksgiving at First Family Church in Antioch. Pastor Nick Neves says he went to the church early that morning after an alarm went off and discovered a smashed window and a door propped open.
As the would-be burglar was coming out of the church, Neves says he stopped the man and told him he was under citizen’s arrest.
“The perpetrator came out with a handful of our goods, and I stopped him. I told him he was essentially under citizen’s arrest, that the police would be there, and he needs to stop and wait for them,” the pastor told CNN.
Neves says the suspect tried to run. That’s when the pastor, who has practiced martial arts – particularly Brazilian jiu-jitsu – since he was in high school, restrained the man until police arrived and arrested him.
“It was never my goal to hurt the man or to do him harm,” Neves told CNN. “I was just hoping to keep him from getting away so that justice could be done and our church could be protected.”
Police say the suspect used an axe to break a church window and enter the building. He left behind a few thousand dollars in damage to the church, according to Neves.
“I don’t have hatred towards him,” the pastor told CNN. “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.”
The suspect was still in custody Friday. Police plan to file multiple charges, including burglary, robbery and battery charges.
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