MARION COUNTY, Fla.,None — A good Samaritan and another man chased down a suspected car thief Wednesday night in Marion County.
The victims were loading their car outside the Walmart on Southwest Highway 200 near Ocala when investigators said the suspect jumped in and drove off. But the man didn't get very far.
Victim Cody Wilson thought his mother was about to be seriously hurt in the incident. Wilson and his mother had just finished shopping late Wednesday night.
"I was very scared. I was scared she was gonna fall. It doesn't take much to make her fall," Wilson said.
Victim Glenda Wilson needed one of the store's scooters to get around. As her son returned it, she climbed into their running car. But so did 27-year-old Robert Thompson.
"Even watching the video -- I know the outcome -- but I cringe just watching, knowing what could have happened if she didn't get her arm out of the window." Marion Co. Sgt. Louis Pulford said.
As Thompson attempted to steal the car, Glenda Wilson barely avoided being dragged alongside. Cody Wilson saw it all happen, and he immediately went after that car thief.
"I went into pursuit mode," Cody said "I jumped in through a window as far as I could. The window was halfway up."
Deputies said as Cody struggled to hang on, a good Samaritan drove up to help.
"He saw our victim grab hold of the car, and he said it looked like a rag doll," Pulford said. "He was being dragged by the car through the parking lot."
The two men somehow managed to get the car stopped. Detectives said Thompson jumped out and walked back into the store, trying to disappear among the rest of the customers.
But Cody Wilson ran in after him. Deputies made the arrest a few minutes later. Cody Wilson has some scrapes and bruises on his arm, but is otherwise OK. His mother Glenda is OK, too.
"There was no way he was leaving with that car---with my car. No way," Cody said.
WFTV
