A pastor in pajamas helped foil a burglary attempt on Christmas morning, just as he was opening presents with his wife and kids.

The grinches who would have stolen Christmas targeted the home of a children’s pastor at a church in Colorado Springs.

When neighbors saw the suspicious activity, they called another youth pastor, Jim Stevens, who lived behind the church. Dressed only in his pajamas, the pastor stumbled upon the active burglary attempt, reports KRDO-TV. For his efforts, Stevens was assaulted, but still managed to capture two of the intruders.

The youth pastor told the alleged burglar to surrender. Insetad, the man punched the pastor in the face and ran off.

After composing himself, Stevens detained a woman who was sitting in the alleged getaway car with the engine running by taking the keys to the car, according to KRDO.

Stevens then restrained a second woman who was coming out of the home. That woman claimed she was pregnant and lived in the home, but Stevens held her arms behind her back until police arrived. The man who punched Stevens is still at large.

In this apparently close-knit church community, neighbors turned to their pastor first when they suspected an active burglary. Fortunately, the pastor was able to detain the criminals without being seriously hurt.

If you are wondering what business a pastor had in detaining criminals, you should know that in most states, any citizen can make an arrest so long as that person has a reasonable belief that a felony is being committed.

As for the alleged burglar who escaped, he may also face criminal battery charges for punching the pastor, in addition to potential charges in connection with the foiled burglary.

Related Resources:

  • Youth Pastor in Pajamas Foils Christmas Day Robbery (The Blaze)
  • How Your Christmas Tree May Attract Criminals (FindLaw’s Blotter)
  • Karate-Chopping Cowboy, 79, Nabs Intruder (FindLaw’s Blotter)

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