A Hollywood restaurant owner served up a side justice after a thief punched a customer in the face and ran off with the man's wallet and cell phone.
Video from inside the restaurant in the 1600 block of North La Brea Avenue shows the attacker walk into an outdoor dining area and punch a customer seated at a table. The thief grabbed the man's wallet and cell phone before casually walking away.
He picked up the pace when he turned to see Timothy Ratcliff, owner of nearby Shin restaurant, sprint after him. Ratcliff chased the thief out of the restaurant, tackled him on a sidewalk and held him down on the ground.
"I started running off after him," Ratcliff said. "We made it around the corner. He saw I was running after him. He hit me in the face a little. I tackled him after that and just held him there until the police arrived."
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The wallet and cell phone were jarred from the thief's grip during a futile effort to break free from Ratcliff's forearm hold. He eventually squirmed onto his back, but Ratcliff pinned his arms on the ground.
A witness and Ratcliff's girlfriend scooped up the items as he struggled with the robber for several minutes.
"My girlfriend was here helping me out because he was trying to bite me," Ratcliff said. "It's just wrong, and it seems to happen way to much lately. We just got tired of it."
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The suspect was arrested on suspicion of aggravated assault and robbery charges.
Details about the condition of the customer who was attacked were not immediately available.
