Video footage captured the moment a thief was caught and knocked to the ground by a jiu-jitsu expert after trying to get away with a handbag.
Lucas de Pádua Villegas, 39, said he had just dropped his mother off at a store when he heard someone shouting, “Catch the thief!”.
Lucas sprang into action and jogged across the road, where he saw the thief running towards him.
CCTV footage shows Lucas then picking up the suspect and slamming his back onto the pavement in a jiu-jitsu move.
He then placed the thief’s knee on his chest, immobilized his arms and pinned him to the ground with his legs, while another man pulled a bag from his grasp.
The incident happened on Saturday, January 11, on a street in Caraguatatuba, Brazil.
Lucas de Pádua Villegas, 39, sprang into action when he heard someone shout ‘Catch the thief’ – in the photo, Lucas waits for the thief to run towards him
Lucas de Pádua Villegas knocked the thief to the ground with his jiu-jitsu moves
Lucas told local media: ‘I parked my car on the corner and crossed the street to go with her because she is elderly.
‘While I was standing on the other sidewalk, I heard someone shouting, ‘Catch the thief!’
Villegas said he hid behind his car and emerged as the suspect fled toward him.
“He put his hand on his waist and pretended he had a gun, but because his clothes were so tight I could tell he had nothing on him,” Lucas added.
“Then I went for a double leg takedown and brought him to the ground.
‘He said he was going to kill me, and then a man came from the right and grabbed his bag.
“When he did that, I thought he was an accomplice. I thought, ‘This guy is going to pull a gun and kill me.
‘Then I pulled his arm to the other side and locked him in. I thought, ‘He’s not going to move this arm anymore.’
Villegas has been practicing martial arts since he was a boy.
Lucas immobilized his arms and pinned him to the ground with his legs, while another man pulled a bag from his grasp
He took up taekwondo in 1998, later took up karate and Muay Thai and eventually chose Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
Villegas told local media: ‘We train for all kinds of situations in the gym. If someone puts their hand on their waist, we know what to do.
‘When they raise their hands, we know how to respond. We have a specific move for every situation.
“In this case, the double leg takedown felt like the best option. At first I thought about throwing a punch, but he was too fast.
‘Maybe I missed and he could have escaped. So I went for the double leg and took him down straight away.”
The 27-year-old who was overpowered by Villegas was taken to an emergency treatment center under police custody, where he received medical attention.
He was later taken to the police station and taken into custody on suspicion of robbing jewelery stores, NeedToKnow reports.
Officers seized a machete, various jewelry and two cell phones from his backpack.