Lubbock Police arrested 39 year old suspect, Corey Johnson, and charged him with robbery and resisting an arrest after he was seen stealing a woman’s purse near a daycare on 22nd and Oxford Street. Jean House left her office at Covenant Hospital around 8 AM to drive down the road and pick up her daughter, Brittany from a nearby daycare that she works at.
House says that while she was inside, a man pulled his car up next to hers and it was then that the suspect opened her car door and grabbed the purse.
“I just remember turning around and my daughter came out, of her work and she goes MOM, and I said ‘This guy just took my purse!’ and she went into the street to see if she could see the license plate.” said House.
House said she tried to grab onto the suspect’s car as he drove a way causing her to fall, but that she noticed a man immediately drive after him.
“He took off after him, and followed him, and contacted LPD, and let them know what was going on,” said House. “Oh my gosh, if LPD and the off duty officer from Crosbyton had not been there… he was off work, but he was still on work.”
The off duty deputy, Armando Perez said he was dropping off his daughter at a nearby daycare when he noticed the suspect lurking around the area, so Perez began to watch him. He said that he didn’t even think twice about going after him, but that it was the right thing to do.
“You know, just through my training and experience that I have.. its just that instinct, that you have and, um and ya know when I saw that he was, committing that crime,” said Perez. “I mean I know I wasn’t on duty, but you know as an officer, you know we take an oath, and we have to step up when someone else can’t.”
House says she’s going to send Perez a thank you note and that she’s so extremely thankful for him stepping in to help her.
“They’re working even when they’re off duty, they’re constantly watching everything around them, and everything and if they need to they will step in and take care of it”
