Ex-Marine foils Minn. robbery, tackles suspect

MINNEAPOLIS - A former Marine is being credited with stopping a would-be thief in his tracks, reports CBS Minnesota.

Police in Blaine, Minn. say the suspect - Christopher Samuels - tried to rob a woman of her purse outside a food store on Tuesday.

"I could see with my peripheral vision that someone was right there and just as I saw him, he grabbed my purse and that's when the struggle began," Kathy George told the station.

George and Samuels became involved in a struggle in the parking lot.

"I kind of surprised myself because I was fighting back. At one point we both went down to the ground, we're wrestling on asphalt. He's regaining control of my purse and then I am, and the whole time I'm thinking, 'What am I doing? I can't believe I'm doing this. He could have a weapon,'" George said. "The contents in this purse are not worth my life."

Tarl Fruge, the former Marine, was across the street watching his kid's softball game when he heard George's cry for help.

"She's got a set of lungs on her," Fruge told the station.

That's when his military training kicked in.

"I dropped everything, kicked my flip flops off and just ran over as fast as I could," he said.

The former Marine tackled Samuels.

"On the ground, put his hands behind his back and then just held him there until police came," Fruge said.

The straps are broken, but George has her purse back. She also has a renewed faith in Good Samaritans.

"There are people out there who'll be willing to step in and risk their lives and help others out," George said.

Fruge says he'd do the same thing all over again, and George says she'd let go of the purse next time - which is what police recommend, reports the station.

Samuels is charged with attempted simple robbery and attempted theft.