A Wellington man is having a well-deserved beer after he caught two alleged push-bike thieves red-handed, resulting in a wild goose chase around the capital.
At about 3:30pm on Tuesday, Jonathan returned home on Willis St and spotted some "shifty guys" wearing hoods and masks down an alleyway that neighboured his apartment building.
"They looked like they were up to no good."
Jonathan told Newshub he parked his car and headed up to his apartment where he kept a close eye on the pair.
"I saw them making a beeline for the garage and someone had let them in."
Jonathan said that's when he grabbed his Staffordshire bull terrier and dashed down to the garage.
"Sure enough, I got down to the alleyway and I could hear grinders going in the garage."
He said he "snuck up" to the garage and charged at the pair.
"I started running to them and swearing at them and they just ran."
A race to see who was the fittest then followed. When the pair of alleged thieves split up, Jonathan and his dog chased one up Willis St, down Manners Mall, up Cuba St and back down Willis St and then up towards The Terrace, all while Jonathan spoke to police on the phone.
"When we were running he was just grunting like 'ugghhh', like he knew he had been caught."
It was when Jonathan and his dog chased the alleged thief up toward The Terrace that the alleged thief "ran out of steam".
"I was literally just about to grab him, but the police literally were right there right at that time."
He said once the alleged thief was caught, police shook Jonathan's hand and thanked him for his work.
"I would do it again."
A police spokesperson confirmed to Newshub that they received a report of Jonathan chasing a man who had allegedly been attempting to steal bikes.
"Police located the man and took him into custody."
A police spokesperson said there is no information yet on charges, but confirmed the man has been arrested for unlawful interference with a bicycle/scooter.
