This story has been updated. 

Decatur Police say that around midnight on Jan. 17 a woman confronted a would-be burglar in the 400 block of Willow Lane. The victim told police she came home from work and saw the suspect trying to enter her neighbor’s patio door. The victim confronted the suspect, and the suspect attacked her, stealing cash from her wallet and taking her cell phone.

Here is the full account from Decatur Police Lt. Jennifer Ross:

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Sunday, January 17, 2016 at approximately 12:02 am, Decatur Police responded to an armed robbery in the 400 block of Willow Lane. The victim reported she arrived home from work and observed the suspect attempting to enter her neighbor’s patio door. The victim asked the suspect who he was and what he was doing. The suspect then brandished a large wrench and attempted to make it appear as if it were a handgun and demanded money. The victim cursed and stated she did not have any money. The suspect tackled her and they both fell to the ground and the suspect began rummaging through the victim’s pockets and took her cell phone. During the struggle, the victim’s wallet fell from her jacket pocket and the suspect grabbed the wallet, removed her cash and fled on foot across Church Street near Glenlake Park. The victim further stated that during the struggle, the suspect struck her legs with the wrench but no injury was reported. The suspect was described as a black male, approximately 40-years-old, between 5’9-6’0 tall, medium build and medium complexion, clean shaven, wearing a gray/blue skullcap, black pants and a long dark gray coat.

While it is not common to come upon a crime taking place, take the time to think about what you would do if you walked up on a burglary, car break-in or other in-progress crime. It is shocking and angering and can make you want to confront, challenge, photograph or record the suspect(s). However, no amount of money, material items or photo/video evidence is worth your well-being or life. Walk through potential scenarios in your head and think about what you could do in these types of situations that would result with you getting to safety as quickly as possible and calling the police. We report the details of these types of incidents to the community to make everyone aware of trends, descriptions and suspect tactics, not to judge what a victim or witness did or did not do. The truth is we all say what we would have done, but nobody knows how they will react when confronted with a potentially violent situation.

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