A 78-year-old woman was knocked to the ground during a handbag mugging - sparking a dramatic chase by a good samaritan. Diesel mechanic Tim Houstoun was driving on Tauranga's Otumoetai Rd about 10.30am yesterday when he saw a man walk up beside the elderly woman, grab her bag and pull herto the ground before fleeing. "I saw this little old lady trying to hold on to her purse with one hand and she was just pulling back - but she got knocked to the ground," Mr Houstoun said. He drove his ute up on to the footpath and sprinted off after the man carrying the woman's bag. The thief dropped the bag but Mr Houstoun continued his chase. "The guy certainly picked the wrong person to have chase him because I'm a pretty big guy and fit as well," he said. But just as Mr Houstoun started to tire, another member of the public, sales representative Robert Smith, pulled over in his van. Mr Houstoun got in and they continued the chase. The pair managed to corner the man and dial 111 by cellphone. A dog handler was quick on the scene and handcuffed the man. But that wasn't the end of the story. As the pair were chasing the thief, an accomplice allegedly drove off in Mr Houstoun's Toyota ute. "I just jumped out and left the keys in the ignition ... I was just focused on getting that guy." The van was later found a short distance away. The elderly woman was taken to a doctor and treated for abrasions. A 17-year-old male, of no fixed abode, appeared in Tauranga District Court yesterday charged with robbery. He was refused bail and is to appear again later this month. A 21-year-old unemployed man was charged with unlawfully taking a motor vehicle and is to appear in Tauranga District Court on Thursday.
