Recently released video footage shows an elderly good Samaritan bravely attempting to stop a man who had just stolen a woman’s truck in Houston.
On September 7, at around 12:30 p.m at the 6500 block on Airline near Parker Road, an unidentified man approached a woman, who was walking toward her truck from a check cashing business, according to the Houston Police Department’s Robbery Division.
Watch:
The attacker subsequently held the woman at gunpoint and stole her keys.
Simon Mancilla Sr., 73, who was nearby, witnessed the crime from his vehicle and ran to help the woman by confronting the suspect.
“I open my window, ‘Hey man … don’t make a problem,'” Mancilla said to the carjacker, according to KHOU 11.
The 73-year-old then lept into the vehicle and was seen on footage exchanging punches with the truck thief.
Two other good Samaritans also rushed to assist the elderly man in stopping the carjacker, the local outlet noted.
According to Mancilla’s son, the 73-year-old could not see the fellow good Samaritans helping him because “[h]is eyes were full of blood.”
As Mancilla attempted to pull the suspect out of the woman’s truck, he was smacked on the head with the gun.
The suspect sped away with the woman’s vehicle.
Mancilla, who is a grandfather of 11 children, acknowledged that the incident was frightening but understood the woman ultimately needed help.
“Well yeah, but I don’t have any choice,” the elderly man said.
In a Facebook post on Monday, Houston police noted they are still searching for the woman’s 2011 GMC Sierra Truck.
They are also searching for the unidentified suspect, who is described as a white male wearing khaki pants and a blue shirt.
Police are asking for anyone with information on the truck or suspect to contact them.
You can follow Ethan Letkeman on Twitter at @EthanLetkeman.