Woman runs after alleged beer thieves, stomps on their car

HOUSTON

A single mom from Alvin says something has been lost in today's society -- people not taking a stand when they see something wrong. She also says thieves know this and are banking on it and a change is long overdue.

When three brothers walked into an Alvin Walmart Sunday, they planned on drinking three cases of beer for free.

But another shopper that despises crime could not stop herself when she saw them walking out without paying.

"I told the cashier, 'Do something, they are leaving,' and she couldn't do anything, so I just told her, 'Watch my purse,'" good Samaritan Monique Lawless said.

As the three Thompson brothers walked to their Camaro, parked in a fire lane, Monique Lawless gave chase leaving her spot in the checkout line.

Since the brothers had a hard time opening the locked Camaro, it gave Lawless plenty of time to catch up. With adrenaline at full throttle, she jumped on the hood and stomped on the windshield.

"And then he started the car and I knew I needed to get off because he didn't care and they were laughing at me the whole time in the car," she said.

So she slid off, grabbed the door handle to pull the door open, but the speeding car slung her to the pavement.

"I hit my face and I don't think my nose is broke, but it swelled up really big," Lawless said.

The single mother hoped others would help to stop the robbery. No one did.

But police later spotted the car and a chase ensued. SkyEye 13 HD was there as state troopers and Pearland police caught them, even pinning one suspect against the fence with a patrol car.

Twenty-one-year-olds Sylvester Andre Thompson and Durlentren Sylvester Thompson and their 19-year-old brother, Sylvester Primitivo Thompson, were arrested and charged with felony evading arrest and aggravated robbery.

At least two of the brothers have a criminal past.

Lawless says more times than not people are used to looking the other way and it's time for a change.

"I'm tired of it. Our society needs to stand up and say, this is not right. We are not going to put up with it; you will be punished," she said.

Lawless says she has reflected a lot on her actions and is not sure she would jump on top of the car again, but she would still intervene in some way and hopes others would as well.