A video captured a Miami woman ramming her car and fighting a man after he allegedly stole her purse, NBC6 reported.
A chase in a Miami neighborhood resulted in a car crash and a physical confrontation after a woman pursued a man she claimed had stolen her purse, according to NBC6. Powerlifter Miurell Vargas, 26, was driving a black car when she spotted the alleged thief. She was too focused on retrieving her purse, which led her to collide with an oncoming vehicle.
“I had so much adrenaline in me that I didn’t think about the consequences,” Vargas told NBC6.
Despite the crash, Miurell Vargas quickly exited her vehicle and undeterred, confronted the suspect on the sidewalk, the outlet reported. The video captured Vargas catching up to the man, identified as Luis Machado, 41, and retrieving her bag after a brief struggle. Vargas described fearing for her safety during the altercation.
Woman caught on video punching man accused of taking purse in Wynwood: “It was either me or him” https://t.co/JbB7soTOnL
— CBS News Miami (@CBSMiami) May 6, 2024
“He put his hand behind him. So, I thought he was going to pull out a knife or a gun. That’s when I started punching him,” Vargas said, NBC6 reported. “He was yelling that it wasn’t my bag and that I was crazy.” (RELATED: Video Shows New Mexico Police Pursue Alleged Thief On Horseback)
Police arrived shortly after the scuffle and arrested Machado, who had sustained a black eye during the confrontation. Machado faces charges of burglary, criminal mischief, and petit theft. Machado is accused of breaking into Vargas’s car while she was at work, stealing her bag and wallet. Although he admitted to possessing some of her items, he denied breaking into her vehicle, according to his arrest report, NBC6 stated.
For Vargas the confrontation went beyond just retrieving stolen items. “My mom’s picture was in my wallet. And my mom passed away eight years ago,” she said, the outlet reported. “So, that was sentimental value for me that I needed to recover. That’s why I did it.”
Vargas received a ticket for her role in the crash but expressed remorse, particularly toward the other driver involved. “I just want to say sorry to the person that I crashed into,” she said, according to NBC6. “She gave me a hug. She was very nice. I just want to say sorry to her.”