Fernandina Beach man catches wallet thief while calling 911

A Fernandina Beach man was leaving his job at the Florida House Inn on Thursday night when he heard screams that someone had stolen a wallet.

Thaxton Rowe turned around and saw a man take off on a bike.

Rowe immediately took off after the thief.

“He was on a bike and I was on foot and I was trying to keep up with him, and I did,” said Rowe.

Police said the thief first asked the victim for a lighter outside The Green Turtle Tavern and then bumped into him and stole his wallet.

Action News Jax tracked down exclusive surveillance video from a nearby restaurant that shows Rowe running down the road after the thief.

He said he was on the phone with 911 as he was running.

“Dispatch was like, ‘Can you slow down?’ And I was like, ‘No, I’m chasing after this guy right now,’” said Rowe.

Rowe said after a few blocks he caught up with him.

“When I got close, I gave a good yell and he froze," he said. "I saw him staring at the wallet. He stopped and froze and said, ‘There’s no money in it,’ and I was like, ‘It doesn’t matter,’ and said, ‘Give it to me,’ and I snatched it from him."

After he got the wallet back, the man fled.

Rowe said he’s seen this man around. He goes by “Mr. B.”

Rowe said he even gave him a few bucks once.

“I thought that he might have been reaching for a weapon, so for my safety, I let the guy go,” said Rowe.

Rowe said he’s going to continue to be on the lookout for the thief.

He said a couple weeks ago his aunt’s friend had her purse snatched just a few blocks away.

Police said the suspect is a man in his 40s or 50s and is 5 feet 7 inches tall. He was wearing a white shirt, dark blue shorts with a white stripe and black hat and was on a beach cruiser bike.

Cox Media Group