Plymouth Police praise good Samaritans for saving woman from attempted kidnapping
PLYMOUTH - Plymouth Police say it's the bravery of three bystanders that saved a woman from a potentially dangerous domestic violence encounter.
Police say Friday morning, a woman's estranged husband showed up to her home in a mask with what appeared to be two guns, allegedly grabbed her by the face and neck, dragging and trying to kidnap her while she was holding her baby.
"The woman was able to scream," explained Plymouth Police Captain Jason Higgins. "And that got the attention of three people nearby."
One of those people was Jamie Costa, a lifelong Plymouth resident. He sprang into action, tackling the suspect to the ground and holding his gun away. Two other men, brothers working nearby, then intervened. One of the brothers pulled his permitted firearm to warn the man. They held the suspect until police arrived.
"We feel that these men probably saved this woman's life," Captain Higgins said.
Plymouth Police plan to honor the men with an award for holding the suspect down until they arrived at the scene.
Costa, however, doesn't consider himself a hero. "As a man it's kind of your responsibility. I guess is how I was taught to help out, so I just helped out," he told WBZ.
Coincidentally, this isn't the first time Costa has helped police with a suspect. In 2019, he tackled a suspect until police arrived as well. "He actually tackled a violent felon for us, so this guy is just in the right place at the right time helping people out. We said we want to give him a job," Captain Higgins joked.
Plus - the threat, while terrifying for the woman and her children - was in part, staged. The two guns the suspect held were replica guns. This "is becoming more and more of a problem in most communities," Plymouth Police Detective Robert Shaw told WBZ. "These handguns look very authentic, but there isn't much on these hand on that separate what a toy and what an actual gun looks like."
The suspect is being held without bail. The victim was not physically hurt in the encounter.