A suspected porch pirate is behind bars after one man took action to stop him.
Jeremiah Lopez says he was at home Tuesday, Dec. 12 when he saw a man spying over his back wall near 7th and Glendale avenues in Phoenix.
Lopez told the man to leave, but moments later, he had another encounter with him, this time in the front yard.
"He rode right up into the yard and maced me right in the face," explained Lopez. "He had a plan, obviously."
A plan that was about to take a major twist.
"I can't let this guy come back, that's all I could think of," said Lopez.
Little did Lopez know, the man was actually 30-year-old Gabriel Poventud, a man Phoenix Police say was responsible for stealing a package off a doorstep near 7th and Maryland avenues the day before.
With one hand covering his burning eye, Lopez sped off after the suspect who had already fled away on his bike.
Just a few blocks away, Lopez encountered him again. The two ended up crashing into each other.
"As soon as he turned, I hit him. Bam! The bike went under the car and he went over the hood, and started throwing his bag at the car!" said Lopez.
A short time later, the police showed up and took Poventud into custody. Lopez hopes with some lessons learned.
"Stealing things is one thing, but being violent, these guys are going to come back," said Lopez.
Poventud is being held without bond. He's due back in court Wednesday.
