WATCH: Elderly Man Answers the Call, Tackles Grocery Store Thief

An elderly Florida man has been praised for tackling a teenage thief to the ground after an attempted getaway through a crowded supermarket with police in pursuit.

Police in Port St. Lucie said the suspect, a 15-year-old wearing a balaclava, had earlier stolen jewelry from a Burlington store before abandoning the empty box near a Mattress Firm outlet. Alert staff raised the alarm, and officers soon spotted the teenager on a nearby park bench.

When confronted, the suspect bolted.

Witnesses reportedly pointed officers in the right direction as the pursuit spilled into a Publix grocery store. The teenager tried to escape through the front entrance, only to be tackled to the ground by an elderly shopper.

The man, identified only as a 76-year-old local, held the suspect to the ground, allowing officers to move in and make an arrest.

Port St. Lucie Police Department Master Sergeant Dominick Mesiti praised the man as a “Good Samaritan” and thanked him, although warned the public against “putting themselves in danger.”

Watch above via CBS 12 News.