Woman Fights Back, Prevents Her Car From Being Stolen
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A Bronx mother gets street justice after stopping a suspected car thief in his tracks.
The ordeal was caught on cellphone video.
It was the wrong day to mess with Tihisha Jones. She is seen on video taking matters into her own hands.
"I just kept hitting him, saying, 'You was trying to steal my car. Like, really, are you serious?'" Jones said.
On Tuesday morning, Jones was preparing to take her son to school when her 5-year-old noticed someone was inside her car.
"As I got closer I see the guy in the driver's seat bending down over like something (was) in there," Jones said. "I don't know what happened. I blacked out after that. I couldn't tell you. I just went into rage."
The commotion got the attention of Katie Mack, herself a filmmaker and director. She was in her apartment and said she does not know Jones.
"When I looked out the window I saw the woman pulling the guy out of her truck, throwing him to the floor and beating him," Mack said.
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Police said the suspect is 19-year-old Bernardino Santiago.
"And then he tried to get away, so he tried to take off his shirt. That's when I sat down on him," Jones said.
She sat on him until police arrived. It was hours before Jones saw the video. Most of it she doesn't remember. You see, her car had been vandalized twice in recent weeks.
"I saved to get that car, myself. I'm a single parent. I saved to get that," Jones said.
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She has a heart condition and uses a walker, but her adrenaline kicked in. On Tuesday, she was not going to be a victim.
"I just had enough. It's time to fight back. I don't think it's fair for people to work hard for your things for people to take your things away," Jones said.
Santiago did not receive medical attention. According to police, he was "highly intoxicated." They said he told officers he thought he was in an Uber.
Santiago faces multiple charges, including attempted grand larceny auto.