Burglar held at gunpoint by pastor after breaking into church, apologizes while being taken away by police

TAMPA, FLORIDA — A man was seeking forgiveness after breaking into a church and trying to steal electronics. A Pastor, responding to an alarm, found the man and held him at gunpoint. While the two were waiting for police, the pastor gave his thoughts on the situation.

Pastor Clifton Adams responded to a burglary alarm early Thursday morning inside Seminole Heights Baptist Church.

Tampa police say the pastor found Miguel Otero-Rivera inside holding a laptop computer owned by the church. Authorities say Adams held Otero-Rivera at gunpoint until they arrived. 

“I just told him, I said ‘you know you’re stealing from people that need help. You’re stealing from people that need help with their dental work, you’re stealing from people that need food, you’re stealing from people that are trying to help folks,’” Adams said.

via wtsp.com

Police say the suspect had entered the church through a window.

They also say that, before being carted off to jail, he offered an apology for his bad decisions. The pastor accepted and told reporters, “We forgive him.”

You can watch the full interview with the pastor below:

Hopefully, the suspect can find the way to a better and more honest life.

One thing to consider; responding to an alarm going off, by yourself, can lead to many outcomes. What if the intruder is armed? What if they’re ready to fight? If you must go, take someone along with you. The best thing, however, is to let police handle whatever and whoever is inside.