Crime & Safety
Good Samaritan Takes on Five Suspects in Cell Phone Theft
A Good Samaritan who saw two teenagers steal a woman's cell phone struggled to get it back for her -- until three more guys joined the fray.
A Good Samaritan tried to help a woman get back her cell phone when it was stolen by two teenagers, but when three friends jumped into the struggle, the bystander had to give in to the thieves.
Decatur Police say the victim was walking on the sidewalk in the 300 block of Church Street about 9 p.m. Friday when two teenage boys ran up behind her and one teen snatched her cell phone out of her hand. Both boys, believed to be 15 years old, then fled on foot through a nearby parking lot and were chased by a witness to a parking lot in the 100 block of East Trinity Place.
The witness briefly struggled with one of the suspects in an attempt to retrieve the stolen cell phone, police said, but three more males got out of a waiting vehicle and joined the fight. One of the three reportedly held a screwdriver to the witness' back and told him to let go of the suspect holding the phone.
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One suspect was described as a black teenager, about 6'0 tall, slender build and wearing a red shirt. The second suspect was described as a black male, wearing camouflage shorts.
The three additional black males were in a vehicle described as a small, silver, four-door car. Witness said the partial license tag included the numbers "5931."
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