50-year-old women chases after 6-foot-3 250 pound thief.

It is after midnight in Chicago, and you are tired after putting in a long day and night working. You get on the bus followed by a young man who sits down behind you.   

He gets up to exit the bus, but says he made a mistake and that this isn't his stop.  He hovers over you just long enough to reach into your purse and grab your wallet, and then out the door he goes.

Now what do you do?

Well if you had been feeling as victimized as Linette Kossow you might just snap as she did and take off running after the guy who robbed you.  Linette Kossow's Chicago apartment had been burglarized and her email hacked. When the big kid stole her wallet it was the last straw.

She left her bag with the bus driver and took off after the suspect screaming for help.  Her screams attracted the attention of two men who took off after the thief with her.

The woman, with the help of the Good Samaritans, one of whom was a homeless man, chased the suspect, 18-year-old Jenar Sanders, into an alley off Michigan near Superior and held him until police arrived, about 12:50 a.m., police said.

Everything turned out better than one might expect. Had he turned around and hit her she might have not only lost her wallet, but also her life.  You can be die from a single punch to the head. 

“The woman’s lucky," a police source said. "She grabbed him. She was lucky this guy wasn’t a violent guy. They had him in an alley without an exit. He’s a fairly substantial man.”

Could the robbery have been prevented in the first place?

Had she not been so tired she might have picked up on any number of warning signs that she needed to be on her guard.

1) She believes her assailant zeroed in on her when he spotted her pulling her bus pass from her wallet.  If you see someone watching you when you have your wallet out it is time to put it away.

2) When she sat in a seat, Sanders planted himself behind her.  This behavior should be a huge red flag that you are being targeted, and that you should put your valuables away.

3) The Sun-Times reported that her purse was open on her lap when the thief reached in and took her wallet.  Considering the earlier signs, that he might be up to know good, the last thing you want to do is have your hand bag open on your lap on the CTA.

If you find yourself in similar circumstances should you chase after your assailant?

1) You might be better off getting on your cell phone and calling 911 immediately.  She didn't, but the bus driver did. 

2) If you are going to chase after them you should do what she did and not only yell for help, but describe to people nearby why you need help so they can take the necessary action.

3) Keep them in sight, but keep a safe distance away.  If you were to get into a physical confrontation your injury would probably cost you more than anything stolen from you.

Awareness is the key to preventing these types of crimes and keeping you safe.

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