A pastor at the Second Baptist Church in Santa Ana, California was brutally attacked on Thursday in broad daylight outside his home by a man he did not know. The church's executive director of operations Kelita Hull-Gardner took to the church's Facebook page to share that their pastor had sustained significant injuries following the stabbing, which left him with two punctured lungs.
According to the Facebook post, Rev. Ivan S. Pitts was attacked at 8 in the morning on Thursday right outside his home in Long Beach, California. The assailant was a man the California pastor did not recognize.
"Pastor Ivan Pitts was randomly approached by a man in his driveway. The man commenced to stab the pastor 7 times; in his left eye, back and shoulder/neck. Both lungs were punctured, bones in his eye socket and shoulder were broken," Hull Gardner explained, as per the Christian Post.
Hull-Gardner added, "The doctors are claiming him to be very lucky, but we know luck has nothing to do with his survival."
Hull-Gardner reported to ABC7 that the California pastor's attacker, who has now been captured by the police, had approached Rev. Pitts and asked him if he could answer a question. When the California pastor acknowledged him, the assailant began stabbing him up to seven times. He was stabbed "twice in the eye, four times in the back and once in the neck, shoulder area."
The California pastor, who is married and is a father of four children, had gone into surgery to address three cuts to his left eyelid and tendon. He is now recovering and in "great spirits," the Second Baptist Church's update said on Sunday. Rev. Pitts declared, "I am so fortunate."
Pastor Ralph Williamson of Christ Our Redeemer AME Church in Irvine, who meets with Rev. Pitts and other members of a coalition of pastors every 9 a.m. on Thursdays, said that the attack had devastated the local Christian community. Williamson recounted that he received "a long text message stating what had happened," which ultimately "devastated" them.
Hull-Gardner recounted how Rev. Pitts ran to a nearby construction site seeking help after the stabbing and the workers there had been able to capture the assailant's license plate through a photo. The assailant's car was later located by Hunting Beach police and the attacker was arrested. Authorities intend to charge the assailant with attempted murder, three counts of assault with a deadly weapon and felony vandalism.
Williamson said he keeps in touch with Rev. Pitts frequently through text and noted that despite the stabbing, the California pastor is "going to be alright." Hull-Gardner said that Rev. Pitts' family is fully supporting him at the hospital and called upon the community to limit texts and calls to the family. Instead, they directed "cards and flowers to be sent to the church" after they "requested to please give them space to process and heal."
Readers are urged to pray for Rev. Pitts' healing and recovery.
