"Thinking They Had Money"... Thief Caught Stealing Bag from Jumper at Mapo Bridge Attempt

Apprehended with the Help of Brave Citizens

A brave citizen who helped catch a thief stealing a bag from a person attempting to jump off Mapo Bridge in Seoul has come to light.

Image source=Seoul Police YouTube

On the 30th of last month, a video titled "Thief Stealing Bag and Fleeing on Mapo Bridge Caught" was uploaded to the Seoul Police YouTube channel. It captured the railing of Mapo Bridge in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, on the night of the 18th of last month. At that time, the police responded to a report from the control center about a person sitting on the bridge railing. While heading to Mapo Bridge to rescue the person attempting to jump, the police spotted a man picking up the jumper’s bag and running away.

The citizen who attempted to jump was safely rescued by the water rescue team, and after confirming via radio that the bag thief was fleeing, the police quickly turned their patrol car to chase the thief. The thief, who was riding a bicycle, ignored the police’s stop request and desperately tried to escape. The police deployed two patrol cars, officers on foot, and even a public bike (Ddareungi), but the thief evaded capture by fleeing through narrow gaps. At that moment, a citizen named Lee, who was riding a motorcycle, appeared and greatly helped in catching the thief. The thief only stopped after being blocked front and back by the patrol car and Mr. Lee in a narrow alley.

In the video, Mr. Lee said, "It looked like an urgent situation. It seemed like two patrol cars were chasing one bicycle. I thought it would be difficult for the police to pursue if the bicycle entered a narrow alley. I judged that if the police were chasing someone, there must be a criminal suspicion, so I decided to join in," explaining why he helped catch the thief.

The thief, a man in his 40s, was investigated to have stolen the bag placed on the bridge after seeing the person attempting to jump sitting on the Han River bridge railing. He reportedly stated, "I thought there was money in the bag, so I stole it."

Ten days after the incident, the Mapo Police Station awarded Mr. Lee a commendation and a reward for catching the criminal. Mr. Lee expressed, "Seeing the passionate officers at work made me realize once again that I, my family, and ordinary citizens with good conscience can sleep peacefully. I feel very proud to have helped the officers and contributed a little to maintaining public safety."