The Rev. Nick Neves’ Thanksgiving got off to an unusual start.
Before dawn, the pastor went to his church in Antioch, California, to check out why the intruder alarm had gone off. Once there, he found a man with an axe.
Although the police were on the way, the Rev. Neves confronted the man on his own. By drawing on his martial arts training, he was able to stop the alleged burglar from fleeing the scene.
“We ended up wrestling around in the parking lot for about 15 minutes until the cops could get there,” the Rev. Neves of First Family Church told Fox News Digital.
He added, “I practice jiu-jitsu and did a little bit of kickboxing training in the past so I know how to defend myself.”
The Antioch Police Department wrote about the incident on Facebook, drawing on biblical language to praise the pastor’s actions.
“But the righteous are as bold as a lion,” the police department said, before confirming that the Rev. Neves had indeed played a role in an eventual arrest.
“When the burglar saw his wicked deeds had been discovered he decided to fight with the pastor instead of repent. 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,” the Facebook post said.
The Rev. Neves told Fox News Digital that he had done his best not to harm the man.
“I did my best just to subdue him,” he said, noting that his goal was to protect his church.
The Rev. Neves said he’s thanking God for keeping him safe.
“God was very gracious and protected me from much harm there,” he told Fox News Digital.