A would-be purse thief in Ann Arbor was foiled Saturday morning by an Eastern Michigan University student who was on his way to the Vault of Midnight comic book store at 219 S. Main St.
EMU junior and WEMU 89.1 FM employee, Brad McNett, said he saw a man and woman struggling on Main Street in downtown Ann Arbor and heard the woman screaming about her purse. Seconds later the man started running toward him.
“I grabbed him and checked him into the building right there and held him, while another man called the police,” Mcnett said. “We continued to fight for a little bit and I managed to get his jacket off him and he dropped his backpack and the purse.”
After that, the man managed to break free and ran across the street and down the road leaving the jacket, backpack and purse behind. McNett said he didn’t bother to chase after the man because he left the purse and his own belongings at the scene.
When the Ann Arbor police arrived, McNett rode in the police car to help look for the thief. It was during the ride, McNett said, the police found the thief’s identification in the pocket of the jacket.
The suspect was identified as a 27-year-old Ypsilanti resident who was later found five blocks away from the scene.
Though he was not in the police cruiser when the police arrested the suspect, McNett said he is glad the police caught the man.
“I’m glad they were able to get him off the street,” McNett said.
Although he stopped a robbery in progress and his actions gave Ann Arbor police enough information to apprehend the suspect, McNett said he doesn’t think he did anything special.
“It’s no big deal,” McNett said. “I’m just glad I was in the right place at the right time. I’m glad I could help.”
