San Fernando Valley pastor chases suspect who allegedly stole church property

SYLMAR, Calif. – It was a wild morning for a Sylmar pastor who says he woke up in the middle of the night, sensing something was wrong at his church. 

Turns out he was right. 

Police believe a man cut through a fence and stole Legacy Church’s trailer with a small tractor on it – and that was just the start. 

By the time Pastor Tony Samora arrived, the suspect was gone, but as luck would have it, when the pastor turned onto Glenoaks Boulevard, he came face-to-face with the suspect who had stolen the church trailer hooked up to the car. 

The suspect then took off, with Pastor Samora hot on his heels.

As the suspect wound his way through the San Fernando Valley, hitting triple-digit speeds until he lost control on White Oak near Devonshire, he crashed head-on into a Prius. 

The church’s tractor was gone – and no one knows what the suspect did with it. 

Inside the red car the suspect was driving, police told FOX 11 they found a police scanner and multiple tools often used in burglaries, including an angle grinder used to cut off locks. 

About the Author

Yosi Yahoudai is a founder and the managing partner of J&Y. His practice is comprised primarily of cases involving automobile and motorcycle accidents, but he also represents people in premises liability lawsuits, including suits alleging dangerous conditions of public property, third-party criminal conduct, and intentional torts. He also has expertise in cases involving product defects, dog bites, elder abuse, and sexual assault. He earned his Bachelor of Arts from the University of California and is admitted to practice in all California State Courts, and the United States District Court for the Southern District of California. If you have any questions about this article, you can contact Yosi by clicking here.