It was nineteen hundred and eighty seven, mid autumn, I remember this time, and chain of events well. Being somewhat excited that night, returning from an evening study group I had recently found. It was probably eight thirty or nine o’clock the sun was still in the sky but the shadows were long. I was early for my midnight shift at a web press job I had started recently.
So I thought I would go pickup a burger at the Real McCoy on Markham road, the name says it all. There was little or no breeze, the air was cool to the point where you could almost see your own breath.
I drove south down Markham road in my nineteen eighty six Mazda B2000 Cab/ plus pickup truck, dark gun metal gray, boy I loved that truck!
Right out in front of Chi Chi’s, I noticed a young woman walking along the sidewalk, in the same direction, she was moving quite quickly as the air was crisp. About twenty yards up the road on the same sidewalk was a young man, who was walking towards the woman as I drove by slowly, the light ahead had turned red. The young man seemed to be acting peculiar, walking then stopping, then walking, then stopping, almost as if he was in a full blown argument with himself. The woman was now approaching the man, and now walked by the man as he leaned away to let her pass, he took a couple more steps past the woman and stopped. He then turned around ran up grabbed the ladies purse, and pushed her to the ground yanking her purse from her hands, and he started running down the street. I pulled my truck into the continuous turn lane put on my four way flashers and jumped out of my truck and started chasing him. The lady had regained her feet and joined in the chase we chased him all the way up to Ellesmere Avenue, yelling to the bystanders that he had stolen her purse. A few of the bystanders did join in the chase, thank god for them. We finally corralled the guy, and when I grabbed on to him he was very wiry, and I was having a hard time holding on to him. Suddenly this very large guy, who had joined the chase grabbed on to the wiry guy from behind, as he was getting away from me. He wanted to beat the wiry guy, so I informed the large guy that it was not in his best interest to hurt this less fortunate individual. Once we got that out of the way the large fellow just hung on to the wiry guy, just then the lady who had been robbed caught up to the crowd that had gathered. She ran up to her assailant and simultaneously kicked and punched him, it was priceless, and after she hit him a couple of times, I then recommended that it would not in her best interest to assault this person. Some of us helped hold the purse snatcher, and waited with the victim until the police arrived, and took away the suspect. A few of us went down to the police station to give statements about what occurred. It turned out the young woman worked at the Chi Chi’s location as a waitress, and she had just finished her shift and was walking to the bus. The suspect was a repeat offender that was hooked on crack looking for some easy money for his next fix.
When it was all over the woman hugged me, thanked me for my help I drove off and to work I went.