WATCH: Elderly Man Answers the Call, Tackles Grocery Store Thief

David Gilmour Sep 4th, 2025, 9:29 am

An elderly Florida man has been praised for tackling a teenage thief to the ground after an attempted getaway through a crowded supermarket with police in pursuit.

Police in Port St. Lucie said the suspect, a 15-year-old wearing a balaclava, had earlier stolen jewelry from a Burlington store before abandoning the empty box near a Mattress Firm outlet. Alert staff raised the alarm, and officers soon spotted the teenager on a nearby park bench.

When confronted, the suspect bolted.

Witnesses reportedly pointed officers in the right direction as the pursuit spilled into a Publix grocery store. The teenager tried to escape through the front entrance, only to be tackled to the ground b

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