VIDEO: Man spots wife's stolen car in Venice, witnesses chase suspect down
VENICE, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A vehicle and bicycle crash in Venice turned into a stolen car investigation that landed a female suspect in handcuffs.
Police said it all started around 10:15 a.m. Saturday in the 1600 block of Abbot Kinney Boulevard, where a man on a bike spotted his wife's stolen SUV.
The man tried to get the woman behind the wheel to stop, and when she didn't, he threw his bike in front of the vehicle. It was then that the suspect, identified as 39-year-old Erica Puig, bolted.
Los Angeles police said several witnesses chased the woman down the street and held her until officers arrived. Authorities said they credit the team effort by good Samaritans to put an alleged thief behind bars.
Matthew Santoro grabbed his cellphone and started recording as he was driving by the bizarre scene. The 32-year-old YouTuber, with millions of subscribers, is always ready to roll.
"We captured it and the LAPD retweeted it, and they DM'd me and said thank you for basically capturing somebody," Santoro shared.
Police confirmed the SUV was stolen from Santa Monica and said Puig faces grand theft auto charges.
