PROVO, Utah (ABC 4 News) – When a Provo woman saw a man stealing her bicycle she was determined, shoes or not, to stop him.
Tonight Erica Castrillo’s bike is back where it belongs.
"It's expensive for a bike," said Erica Castrillo, chased down a bike thief.
…all because Castrillo wouldn't let a thief getaway.
"I was just screaming like, ‘Hey stop! That's my bike! Give it back!" said Castrillo.
Castrillo said Monday night 50-year-old Randy Johnson tried to take it from her apartment in Provo. But instead of watching him ride away with it, she ran after him - barefoot.
"It was just like pure adrenaline at the time. I wasn't thinking clearly. I just thought, ‘I'm going to get my bike and I'll deal with the next thing as it comes," she said.
She chased him down the street for a nearly block and a half, before flagging down a driver to help her catch him.
"She was so kind and let me into her car," said Castrillo.
Even then he almost got away.
"We got stopped at a red light and had to wait a little bit to catch up there so that was a little nerve racking," she said.
The pair called the cops. Johnson eventually stopped and Castrillo confronted him.
"I just got out of the car and I ran up and was just such on an adrenaline rush I was just, 'Hey why'd you take my bike?’ And he just kind of blew me off and kept walking," said Castrillo.
Police picked him up. And Castrillo got her bike.
"When citizens observe suspicious activity and then contact police immediately there's no more powerful asset that we have in the community," said Chris Chambers, Provo Police Dept.
Meanwhile Castrillo and her family are just glad the bike is back home.
"My little girls say mom good job, like you caught the bad guys, it was really cute," said Castrillo.
As you might assume, Johnson isn't getting off Scott free. Police said he's being charged with theft and failure to stop for police.
