Fighter runs down, duct tapes bank robber
Eric Haritakis hasn’t fought since 2009, but on Friday he ran an alleged bank robber down, subdued him, and secured him with duct tape until police arrived.
Eric Haritakis hasn’t fought since 2009, but on Friday he put his skills to use. Haritakis was making a deposit for his Zen Body Foods health food delivery service at Grow Financial Credit Union in the Tampa Bay area, when a teller shouted out that she had been robbed.
The fighter ran the alleged bank robber down, subdued him, and secured him with duct tape until police arrived.
Tobias Salinger has the story for the New York Daily News.
Michael Jon Neubecker, 31, had passed a note to the teller demanding cash and walked out the door of the Largo bank at 10801 Starkey Road with an undisclosed amount of money at around 12:45 p.m., according to a report on the incident from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.
That’s when Haritakis, who goes by the nickname Ginja Ninja, sprang into action. Security camera footage at a nearby UPS store shows him gaining ground on a fleeing Neubecker before leading the suspected robber back with his hands behind his back moments later, WTVT reported.
The foiled robber, Michael Jon Neubecker, 31, now faces one count of unarmed robbery charges, according to Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri.
The sheriff expressed relief that Haritakis had helped subdue the fleeing suspect but pointed out that citizens should use caution before attempting to thwart a criminal act, WFTS-TV reported.
You can be trained all you want with your hands, but hands don’t stop bullets, Gualtieri told WFTS. If this guy had a gun as you know he’s robbing a bank, MMA or, you know, Hulk Hogan — it really doesn’t make a difference.
But a UPS clerk praised the muscled man who had used his attributes for good, according to WTVT.
I was just amazed at how down-to-earth he was, said Kristin Drexler. He was just so nonchalant about the fact that he just chased down a bank robber.
And the fighter told WFTS he was only trying to serve as an example.
If we stand up as a group and more people are working together to make other people not do what they’re doing, then we’d be a lot better off and it would be a much better community, Haritakis said.
Haritakis now joins a select group of fighters who have subdued criminals.
In March, UFC vet and UGer Ryan Jensen trapped a pair of alleged car thieves in a Walmart parking lot.
In July of last year, Sri Lankan fighter and UGer Mayura “Top Gun” Dissanyake took it to several individuals attempting to rob the gas station he worked at.
In Jan of 2014, New Mexico lightweight Joseph Torrez fought off four home invaders, killing one.
In June of 2013, Bellator vet Ururahy Rodrigues captured a killer following a robbery in a story next to his gym.
In Aug of 2012, UFC vet and UGer James McSweeney stopped an armed robbery in Las Vegas.
In Nov of 2011, UGers and fighters Brent Alvarez, 33, and Billy Denney, 28, were checking into their hotel for the No Gi Mundials, and stopped an armed robbery in progress.
In March of 2011, Jon Jones and other members of Jackson/Wink MMA subdued a robber, hours before taking the title from ‘Shogun’ Rua.
In July of 2009, UFC heavyweight Antoni Hardonk thwarted an armed robbery attempt.
In a sobering tragedy, in April of 2011, up-and-coming MMA fighter Kearn Nedd was killed scuffling with a gunman in a botched robbery attempt in Brampton, ON. He was just 28 years old. Only use force against an armed attacker if there is no alternative.