Two Suspects Who Dragged Mom Across a Parking Lot Get a Swift Lesson in Texas' Concealed Carry Law

A 30-year-old mother is lucky today after the quick-thinking of a stranger helped save her from a mugging.

The mother of two who was dragged across a Texas shopping center parking lot this week, clinging to her purse while two suspects in a sedan tried to snatch it.

That's when the stranger, who was armed, stopped the would-be thieves and forced them to lie on the ground while they waited for the police to arrive.

The stranger who helped the woman retrieve her purse, pointed a gun at the suspects while he made them lie on the ground, waiting for police to arrive. (Image source: KHOU-TV)

“This lady opens her car door, grabs the woman’s purse and they reverse. While they’re trying to reverse, the lady is holding on to her purse still, chasing them all the way to the middle," Brenda Vasquez, manager of a Houston Family Dollar store who witnessed the incident, told KHOU-TV. “And that good Samaritan came out, drew his weapon and scared them. And that’s when he pulled them out of the car.”

The mother of two clung to her purse and was dragged along with the car, refusing to let go. (Image source: KHOU-TV)

A store's surveillance camera pointed toward the parking lot caught the scene. Watch it courtesy of KHOU:

The male and female suspects, identified as 34-year-old Shamarion Diana Brooks and 48-year-old Jesse Leroy Grace were arrested by the Houston Police Department. Brooks was charged with felony possession of an unlawful substance and robbery by threat, while Grace saw felony charges of unauthorized use of motor vehicle and robbery by threat.

Neither the mother nor the man who Vasquez called a "hero" were identified. Police department spokesman John Cannon told TheBlaze the citizen who held the suspects until officers could arrive is a witness in the case, which is why his identity is not being released.

When asked to comment on the man's actions, Cannon said that "the citizen did what he thought was right at the time. In some instances, witnesses do that and other times they play it safer and just get good descriptions." The police department does not endorse one action over another Cannon said. The man's gun was checked out by police and given back to him.

According to KHOU, the good Samaritan bought his children some candy after the incident and drove away. Vasquez said that while the mother was scared, she was thankful for the help she received.