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Two former Marines take down Publix purse snatcher in Florida

Posted at 10:47 PM, Aug 02, 2017
and last updated 2017-08-04 11:05:15-04

CAPE CORAL, FLA - Two good Samaritans stopped a man who tried to steal a young woman's purse from a Publix in Cape Coral, Florida.

"I mean I went up there just for a few seconds to grab some sushi," said Zach Bucher, who lives just a few blocks away from the Publix.

Bucher and another Marine chased down Marshall Barker while he was trying to flee.

"He was yelling that he didn't do it and I was like 'yeah right, why are you running'," Bucher said.

The duo didn't let Cape Coral Parkway get in the way of taking down Barker.

"We ran him down and took him down over by the Circle K," said Bucher.

The two men then turned him over to Cape Coral Police.

"It was great to see that we had some citizens that were willing to step in and help this young lady," said Lt. Dana Coston, from the Cape Coral Police Department.

Cape PD recommends you leave the heavy lifting for them. They want you to be a good witness.

"Give us good descriptions, direction of travel, keep them in sight, and call the police department and have us respond," said Coston.

Publix did release a statement about the attempted robbery.

A spokesperson wrote in an email to Fort Myers-based WFTS, "We provide a safe shopping environment for our customers, and our customers feel safe shopping with us. Unfortunately, others know this and attempt to exploit customers who let their guard down. Customers should always be conscious of their surroundings, prepared for the unexpected, especially for their personal belongings."