After witnessing a theft take place on security camera footage, a group of 15 vigilante mixed martial arts fighters traced and tackled the alleged thief.
A group of professional and amateur mixed martial arts fighters tracked and tackled an alleged thief after they claimed to have seen a man smash the window of a ute and take the owner’s wallet and belongings.
After witnessing the alleged break-in on security camera footage, 15 members of the Luistro Combat Academy tracked the 24-year-old man to Belmont Forum shopping centre in Cloverdale, Western Australia.
In 20 minutes, the vigilante fighters found the man they believed broke into the car through an allegedly stolen credit card before apprehending him. They then restrained the man until police took him into custody.
Speaking to 9News, the owner of the gym, Romel Luistro, said they were inspired to act after they realised the items allegedly stolen had sentimental value to the owner.
“I felt really bad because the guy who had his stuff stolen had his necklace stolen from one of his friends who actually passed away,” he said.
“So it had a lot of sentimental value.”
Footage from the citizen’s arrest showed Mr Luistro pinning the alleged car thief to the ground, with the other members from the gym also present.
The 24-year-old is now facing 10 charges, which include fraud and breach of bail.
Based in Cloverdale, the Luistro Combat Academy specialises in MMA classes, as well as boxing, kickboxing, Brazilian jiu jitsu and wrestling.
Also known as cage fighting, MMA is a full-contact combat sport that combines techniques from another of fighting disciplines. International fights are officially organised through the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)
Some of the top MMA champions include Conor McGregor, Anderson Silva and current MMA champion Francis Ngannou.
