Good Samaritan stops would-be car burglar in his tracks, police say
TAMARAC, Fla. -- A would-be car burglar was stopped in his tracks by a Good Samaritan who happened to notice that the man was up to no good in a Walmart parking lot in Florida. According to the Broward Sheriff's Office, Miguel Leon was sitting in his vehicle on Dec. 5 when he spotted a man checking car handles and looking into car windows.
Leon tells CBS Miami the assailant pulled out a steak knife and said to him, "You wanna die today," during the confrontation. Leon replied, "Not by you!"
The men got into a scuffle in the parking lot, which was captured on surveillance video. At one point, the suspect attempted to drive away in Leon's KIA Sorento, but Leon managed to pull the suspect out of the driver's seat. The suspect then ran away. Leon suffered minor injuries.
Detectives say the man is believed to be in his early 20s, has short hair and weighs about 160 pounds. He stands at least 6-feet tall, and has two tattoos on his face — one tattoo says "2017" under his left eye; the other tattoo includes unknown artwork over his right eye. The man was last seen wearing a black T-shirt with white basketball shorts.
Leon says he knew he took a risk going after the suspect. "I'm fed up with people taking from people who work hard for a living," he said. "At some time I was scared, but this is where my mother shops, my sister shops, my wife and daughter shop, and they should feel safe to shop."
Sheriff's deputies are hoping someone will recognize the assailant. "This man is dangerous. He did threaten the victim with a weapon. He's very brazen. This happened at noon. We want to get him off the street," said spokeswoman Gina Carter.
Anyone who recognizes the suspect has been urged to contact Broward County Crime Stoppers at (954) 493-8477.
