Surveillance video shows the moment an Israeli military veteran confronted a man who allegedly flashed her while she was jogging in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on Wednesday morning.
Aia, a six-foot tall mother of two, was running along Memorial Drive when a man jogging toward her reportedly indecently exposed himself to her twice.
“He pulled his pants once and you know, I didn’t react too much. As he came closer, he pulled them again. Then I understood maybe it’s not what I think it is,” she told WCVB 5.
As the alleged flasher ran by her and tried to touch her arm, Aia turned and ran after him to confront him about his behavior.
“It was not his lucky day, because I just decided it’s not going to happen and I decided to chase him down,” Aia said. “I mean, I’m 6-[foot]-1[inch], pretty fit. It’s not a very good victim to go after,” she added.
Surveillance footage shows the veteran running after the man and reaching out to stop him. He then runs away from her, and authorities said she physically detained him while asking passersby to help by calling the police.
“When I was holding him down, he was terrified. He was really really scared,” she said.
However, Aia said no one helped her as she struggled to hold the man down for at least three minutes. He was then able to free himself and escape.
“With all due respect people, what does it look like, romantic conversation? I’m holding him down, yelling ‘call the police.’ Like, people just choose to ignore it,” she said.
When asked why she chose to take the matter into her own hands, Aia commented, “If I’m not going to chase him, he’s going to scare some girl and get her all the way down and then what? No.”
Police described the suspect as a white male with a heavy build and short dark hair, wearing gray running clothes and black running shoes.
State Police Trooper James DeAngeles told reporters that he would have preferred the victim call 911 and report the incident, but said her split-second decision was probably the best in the circumstances.
“She reacted in the blink of an eye what she felt was the best form of action,” DeAngeles said. “Good for her. I think she put the fear of God in the guy.”