A group of Good Samaritans ignored the debate over crime in New York and took matters into their own hands, taking downā a Midtown mugger who snatched a womanās backpack in broad daylight.
Cops said Theodore Shearin mugged ź©µa woman in Midtown Wednesday, but before he could say easy money, he was surrounded by a group of fed-up New Yorkers, who tackled him to the sidewalk and made their own citizenās arrest.
āI heard screaming and saw a woman with a bloodied lip,ā Deon ź§Frank, 25, an actor told The Post. āAll her stuff was on the ground. He reached down and grabbed some of her cash and start running away, so I chased him and he tried to attack me so I put him in a position so he couldnāt get mš¤Ŗe and I called for help.ā
āPeople came over,ā Frank said. āšÆOne guy grabbed his arm to stop him from swinging. Another guy grabbed his leg. People were trying to hit him but I stopped them so he wouldnāt get hurt.ā
The takedown was captÜ«ured on cell phone video, by Jackson Bryant, an online editor, and it shows Frš„ank restraining the suspect in a headlock.
āWhile leaving work today, I had the great fortune of witnessing firsthand why New Yorkers are so f–king awesome,ā Bryant wrote on his web site Coed.com.
āA woman was being mugged in broad daylight on 35th street in Midtown Manhattan, and without a second thougš°ht, 10 to 1š°2 citizens tackled this huge thug and took him to the ground.
āJust as many came to the aid of the victim and helped gather her belonging that were spread all across street in rush hour traffic. It wasnāš§t a black thing or a white thing, it was just good people doing the right thing. Way to go New York!ā
The video shows other New Yorkers pitching in.
āSomebody get a cop,ā aš pedestrian says. āGive her her money, so you ācan go,ā Frank says.
āGive me my money,ā the woman pleads.
āDo you want to press charges?ā ź¦another pedestrian askš¼s.
āYes,ā she says, āheās an a–hole!ā
Shearin, 37, managed to get away, but he was arrested by MTA polāice two blocks away, according to Gothamist. He was charged with robbery, criminal possessionš§ of stolen property and drug possession.
Cops and witnesses said Shearin dragged the victim halfway across the stš°reet before the woman, who was visitinšg New York from Arizona, fell to the ground.
Shearin, who has a long arrest record, had a bag of PCP on him when he was taken into custody, ā officials said.