New footage shows the moment a phone thief was hit by instant karma after trying to steal a phone from a tourist – seeing bystanders rush to her aid.
Alexandra Doketova, 33, was on a bicycle in Buenos Aires, Argentina’s capital, when two motorcycle bandits decided to make her their next victim.
The pair rode up alongside her as she was stopped at a pedestrian crossing and one attempted to snatch the phone out of her hand.
Not only did she manage to cling onto her phone, she also grabbed onto the man who attempted to snatch it.
She refused to let go, holding onto his leg with all her strength.
He tried to break free as his partner, 31, rode away on the motorbike.
But Alexandra kept holding his leg and was dragged roughly along the street as he tried to break free.
It was then that motorists started stopping to help her, parking their cars to block his getaway.
They pinned him down and kicked him, holding him until police arrived and detained the man.
His accomplice was caught and detained hours later, local media reported.
The woman sustained head injuries during the incident.
In a raid of the homes of the suspects, police found 10 mobile phones.
The men had prior criminal records, according to police.
Acourt ruled the alleged thieves should not be held in custody – a judicial decision that has triggered outrage in a city where attacks on foreigners are on the rise.
A witness said: ‘I don’t know what more proof they want. Everything can be seen on the cameras.’
It comes after a suspected thief got a dose of instant karma after trying to steal a mobile phone out of the hands of a Chinese student on the streets of lawless London.
In a short video clip, uploaded to Red Note, the alleged crook approaches the student and starts a conversation in a bid to distract him.
In a matter of seconds, it appears the man has swiped his phone before running off with the expensive device and into Tottenham Court Road Tube station.
But, what the suspected thief doesn’t realise is he’s picked on the wrong person.
The alleged victim chases after the man, dressed in a camel puffer jacket, into the Tube station, down the escalator and onto the platform.
There, a struggle ensues and the suspected phone snatcher is restrained into a corner by the student who holds him in a vice-like grip before finally retrieving his phone.
He then guards the alleged thief until police and Transport for London (TfL) staff arrive and escort him out of the station.
Police confirmed to MailOnline a man was arrested on suspicion of theft in connection with the incident in May.
