A pregnant Ace Hardware employee in Palmdale, California, chased down an alleged thief and wrestled back a stolen air-conditioning unit on instinct, surveillance footage shows.
The incident unfolded Friday, Aug. 28, at the store located in the high-desert city north of Los Angeles. A person walked out carrying a giant box over their shoulder containing the AC unit without paying, according to the footage. The expectant worker, whose name has not been released, took off after them into the parking lot.
She caught up just as the suspect was trying to load the bulky merchandise into a vehicle. The employee grabbed the package and refused to let go. After a brief tug-of-war, she pried the air-conditioning unit away from the alleged thief, who was unable to drive off with the goods. The footage then shows her casually walking back into the store, enormous box in hand.
Later asked why she took such a risk, the employee said she “acted on instinct,” according to KTLA.
Her boss made clear that company policy does not encourage this kind of confrontation. “We don’t promote or ask our employees to go after thefts, let alone risk their lives,” the manager said in a statement to the outlet. The same statement also praised the worker’s actions, adding: “But on the other hand, this woman deserves a medal for her courage and valor.”
It remains unclear whether police were called to the scene or what became of the suspected thief. The California Post reached out to the Palmdale Sheriff’s station for additional information.