By Bailey Richards\People
Photos: Pastor Nick Neves/Antioch Police Department
A burglar got more than he bargained for after breaking into a church on Thanksgiving — when he was greeted by a pastor trained in martial arts.
On the morning of Thursday, Nov. 28, a man used an axe to smash a window at First Family Church, a Baptist church in Antioch, Calif., causing an alarm to go off, the Antioch Police Department (APD) said in a Facebook post.
Pastor Nick Neves (top photo left) went to go check on the disturbance and was “not expecting” to find a burglar, police said.
Despite being confronted by the pastor, the man — who has not yet been identified by police — decided to put up a fight.
“I shouted at him to stop, and that the police were on their way,” Neves, 46, recalled to NBC News. “And he ran and I grabbed a hold of him and we ended up wrestling in the parking lot of the church.”
The First Family Church pastor also had a trick up his sleeve — a slew of martial arts training under his belt.
“I like to stay fit,” Neves told NBC News. “And I studied in some jujitsu and kickboxing and I have a mixed martial arts background.”
