How Pastor Stopped Axe-Wielding Burglar at Church Using Martial Arts

On Thanksgiving morning, a pastor’s martial arts training came into play when he confronted an axe-wielding burglar at his church. The incident happened at First Family Church in Antioch, California, after an alarm alerted Pastor Nick Neves to a break-in.

Arriving at the church, the 46-year-old pastor encountered the intruder, who had reportedly used an axe to shatter a window and gain entry. Pastor Neves demanded the man stop and warned that police were en route. The confrontation quickly escalated into a physical altercation in the church parking lot.

“I shouted at him to stop, and that the police were on their way,” Neves recounted to NBC News. “He ran, and I grabbed a hold of him. We ended up wrestling in the parking lot of the church.”

The suspect, whose name has not been released, was unprepared for Neves’ extensive background in martial arts, which includes jiu jitsu and kickboxing. Using his training, the pastor was able to subdue the man without injury.

“I pinned him to the ground,” Neves explained. “He got up and tried to get away several times, but I just wore him out because I knew I could outlast him.”

The struggle lasted about 15 minutes before police arrived and took the exhausted intruder into custody. Officers recovered an axe at the scene, believed to have been used in the break-in.

Antioch Police Department praised Neves’ actions in a social media post, describing the incident as a battle between good and evil. “The burglar, realizing his wicked deeds had been discovered, decided to fight the pastor instead of repent,” the post stated. “What he didn’t know was that the pastor would win this battle and hold him down until police arrived.”

Reflecting on the encounter, Neves expressed regret over the suspect’s choices. “If he had come a couple of days earlier, he would have been blessed, given food, and cared for,” Neves said. “Instead, he decided to smash windows, desecrate property, and hurt the ministries.”