A Vancovuer Island woman is nursing scrapes, bumps and bruises while getting kudos from her community after she chased down and tackled a break-and-enter suspect this week.
Ashley Stevenson was in the bathroom of her Nanaimo home at about 3:30 p.m. Tuesday when her dachshund dog started growling.
含羞草研究社淭he dog was in there with me and he was growling at the door, but he含羞草研究社檚 kind of senile, so you know, who knows?含羞草研究社� Stevenson said.
At the same time her partner, Joe Squire, was standing on the front porch of their home talking to their next-door neighbour when a young woman, carrying a backpack, casually stepped out their front door, just three metres from where he was standing.
含羞草研究社淪he looked at me and said, 含羞草研究社楬ey,含羞草研究社� and just starts casually walking down the driveway,含羞草研究社� Squire said. 含羞草研究社淚 looked at my neighbour and said, 含羞草研究社楧id that just happen?含羞草研究社櫤卟菅芯可鐫
The neighbour confirmed it had and Squire alerted Stevenson.
含羞草研究社淲e were both in the house and we believe that she also was in the house already and was in the office stealing all of our computers,含羞草研究社� Stevenson said. 含羞草研究社淲e were both upstairs and our office is downstairs.含羞草研究社�
Squire gave chase in their car, but Stevenson started chasing the woman on foot. When she spotted the suspect coming out of a neighbour含羞草研究社檚 basement door, the pursuit was on.
含羞草研究社淚 just acted and I ran through six backyards and I hopped four fences,含羞草研究社� Stevenson said. 含羞草研究社淚 was wearing slippers. I don含羞草研究社檛 even know why 含羞草研究社� I just went into 含羞草研究社楾hat含羞草研究社檚 my stuff. I含羞草研究社檓 getting it back.含羞草研究社� I was taunting her, which is terrible. She started slowing down and I went, 含羞草研究社極h, no. You含羞草研究社檙e slowing down. This isn含羞草研究社檛 looking good for you.含羞草研究社櫤卟菅芯可鐫
As the women ran along the edge of a small ravine behind homes on Shelby Ann Avenue, Stevenson flagged down Squire, resumed the chase, caught up with the suspect again, knocked her down and then leaped on her.
含羞草研究社淎s she was falling, I just grabbed my backpack from behind and then threw all of my weight down,含羞草研究社� Stevenson said.
As the women wrestled, the suspect hit Stevenson on the head with a rock. Just as Stevenson started to tire, Squire arrived and helped hold the woman, who was trying to strike him with the rock, until police arrived.
含羞草研究社淲e had her nicely gift-wrapped for them. It was a good day for them,含羞草研究社� she said. 含羞草研究社淏ut they were wonderful and they knew her. Yeah, she含羞草研究社檚 known to police.含羞草研究社�
Stevenson said she含羞草研究社檚 grateful for the the RCMP含羞草研究社檚 fast response and for support expressed for her by friends on social media and her neighbours, whom she含羞草研究社檚 come to know since the incident.
含羞草研究社淢y post on Facebook really brought a lot of people in my neighbourhood to reach out to me and we含羞草研究社檙e going to have a get together and a meet and greet over the holidays and it含羞草研究社檚 a reason why community, you know?含羞草研究社� she said.
Stevenson also hopes the woman she caught will get help, now that she含羞草研究社檚 been arrested, to turn her life around.
According to police, the arresting officers found all of the stolen items.
Natasha Harris, 28, appeared in provincial court in Nanaimo on Wednesday and has been charged with break and enter and two counts of assault with a weapon.
含羞草研究社淕ood on these two for doing what they did,含羞草研究社� Const. Gary O含羞草研究社橞rien, Nanaimo RCMP spokesman, said in a press release. 含羞草研究社淲e would, however, be remiss to not point out they could have been seriously harmed during the struggle.含羞草研究社�
Police never advocate getting into physical altercations with suspects.
含羞草研究社淥fficers were responding and if they had simply followed the suspect at a safe distance and provided updates, the outcome would have been the same,含羞草研究社� he said.
Stevenson has multiple bruises and had difficulty walking Thursday, but she had to retrieve the laptop which contains her university course projects and irreplaceable photos and memories.
含羞草研究社淚n 20/20 hindsight I probably shouldn含羞草研究社檛 have done that,含羞草研究社� she said. 含羞草研究社淚 should含羞草研究社檝e just called the police, but she had my backpack, which had my laptop and my projects for school worth 40 per cent [of the final grade],含羞草研究社� she said. 含羞草研究社淵ou can含羞草研究社檛 let that go. That含羞草研究社檚 your future, so I had to get her.含羞草研究社�
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