Police arrested a man accused of trying to rob a woman at an ATM in Arlington, Va.
A man approached a woman from behind at Courthouse Plaza across the street from the Arlington County police station after she entered her PIN number Tuesday afternoon, police said. The man put the woman in a choke hold, News4's Chris Gordon reported. The woman hit cancel, broke free and ran. The man tried to get money out of the machine and fled.
A county spokeswoman told News4 Juan Rivera, an employee in the Commissioner of Revenue's Office, heard the victim scream and chased a man he saw running.
"I thought that must be the guy," Rivera said. "I didn't intend to stop him but identify him by the time police stopped him."
With his bag lunch in one hand and a rock in the other, Rivera chased the man, who climbed over two fences and ran through the Lyon Village neighborhood, Gordon reported. He was prepared to throw the rock at the man if needed.
Two others joined Rivera in the chase until police officers caught up with the suspect several blocks away.
Police arrested 26-year-old James Williams and charged him with attempted robbery and grand larceny in connection with a previous incident. He is being held without bond.
