Police praise 'Good Samaritan' after Newcastle robbery
He chased down a man who'd stolen a purse from a care home worker
Last updated 8th May 2021
Police have praised a 'Good Samaritan' who stepped in to recover a purse stolen from a care home worker in Newcastle.
It happened outside of a care home in the Walker area at around 8pm on Wednesday.
A 37 year old woman was confronted by a man, who threatened her with a smashed bottle before grabbing her purse and running away.
However a man who was in the area managed to chase the would-be thief down, forcing him to hand the purse back.
Northumbria Police managed to identify and arrest a 25 year old suspect who is now being questioned on suspicion of robbery.
The same suspect is being linked to an incident on Tuesday night, where a 59 year old was had her bag snatched on Cowen Street.
Chief Inspector Gary Richardson, of Northumbria Police, said:
“These were two terrifying incidents for the victims who were threatened with violence and had their property snatched from him.
“Thankfully we have quickly identified a subject and within 24 hours of the second robbery we had a suspect in our custody.
“We hope that reassures our communities and shows how seriously we take incidents of this nature.
“I want to take this opportunity to thank the Good Samaritan who rushed to the aid of the care home worker who was targeted by the thief.
“We want to thank him for being a true community hero and we know our communities would echo that praise.”