Burglary victim stops thief with car in Gastonia

GASTONIA, N.C. — Jammie Moore was a passenger in a vehicle at a stop sign Tuesday night on Garrison Boulevard in Gastonia when Jay Choi walked up to the driver’s side window.

“He says, ‘Hey, you got a light?’” Moore said.

The driver rolled down her window and Choi reached in, grabbed her purse and ran, Moore said.

She chased him down, Choi pulled out a machete.

"Left the car sitting in the middle of the road so I took the car and followed them," Moore said.

The blade missed as Choi took a swing at the woman.

"Time froze for a split second and I heard her scream and survival kicked in," Moore said.

He drove into Choi knocking him down.

He then held the thief down until police came.

Choi admitted in court on Wednesday that he was on pretrial release for larceny and breaking and entering charges.

The woman who chased Choi said she was worried about the money.

She wanted the wallet and phone that had pictures of her children.

They were returned to her.

Cox Media Group