Phyllis Pena told Eyewitness News her instinct kicked in when she sacked 19-year-old Zane Hawkins Sunday morning.
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"It was just natural instinct, for whatever reason, to make sure he doesn't make it past me," she said.
Pena said she caught Hawkins peeking through her daughter's window when she got home that morning. When she confronted him, he took off. That's when she called police.
Pena said two officers tried taking Hawkins into custody. When they missed him, she said that's when Hawkins started running toward her.
"I jumped in front of him and just tackled him," she said.
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Pena said she doesn't know where she learned how to tackle like that.
"It just came naturally, which was really weird," she said.
Pena told ABC13 she feels relieved knowing her daughter is safe.
"You just want your kids to feel safe," she said. "In a situation like that, your kids don't feel safe."