Joe Bossard says when he saw a group of men breaking into his aunt's house, he had only one thought: Get these guys.
The 19-year-old personal trainer said three guys were trying to rob his aunt's house on 4200 block of S. Wallace in Canaryville. Police were already at the scene when he sprinted over from a nearby park.
“I was actually in the park here because my mom works there and she got a phone call saying that her sister, my aunt's house was getting robbed,” Bossard said. “I ran over there, when I got over there, there were some police there.”
The front door was locked so he said he led officers around back, where he saw two the guys trying to get away.
“I saw him and I ran and I grabbed him. Cops followed behind me, took him, cuffed him all that. I saw the other continue to run so I sprinted for about a block, same thing, they got him,” Bossard said. “I kind of just grabbed him. He tried pushing me off but I grabbed him, cops came, took him, chased the other one, same thing.”
He said he didn't even think about if they had a weapon because adrenaline kicked in. He was able to apprehend two of the three guys with socks on. One was stopped in the yard.
“To be honest, I don't remember at all. It just happened so quick that it just played out,” Bossard said. “Everyone said that could have had a knife, this and that, but everyone was just shocked it happened.”
Neighbors applauded Bossard's actions at a community policing meeting on Tuesday. He said what he did was no big deal, but hopes he has the right shoes on if ever he finds himself in a similar situation.
