Port St. Lucie bodycam shows citizen tackle teen thief during foot pursuit
By: Port St. Lucie, FL - A quick-thinking citizen heroically tackled a masked thief in Port St. Lucie, aiding police in a dramatic chase that unfolded from a nearby jewelry heist to a local Publix.
According to the Port St. Lucie Police Department (PSLPD), the incident began at Mattress Firm, where the thief discarded an empty jewelry box.
Officers said that the store manager, suspecting something was amiss, reached out to the nearby Burlington store, which confirmed that a theft had occurred and identified the thief as the same person who had left the jewelry box behind.
While police were on their way to the scene, officers reported spotting the suspect sitting on a park bench nearby.
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The thief, still wearing a balaclava, noticed the officers and took off running, per the report. Officers said that pedestrians pointed the officers in the direction of the fleeing suspect, leading them to Publix.
As police approached the supermarket, the 15-year-old thief attempted to escape through the front door, where officers were waiting.
That's when a heroic citizen sprang into action, tackling the thief and helping to bring the chase to an end.