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DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) – Don’t mess with our neighborhood. That’s the message from a group of homeowners who caught a car burglar in the act and teamed up to apprehend him.

Homeowners on the 5000 block of Reiger Avenue were fed up with recent garage thefts and car break-ins that police haven’t been able to stop.

So when they saw one happening Monday evening they took the law into their own hands. Lenora Moffa saw a suspicious person opening doors of vehicles and started chasing him after he ran away.

“He started taking off so I sprinted after him that’s when it got really spectacular,” said Moffa.

Brenda Williams joined in the pursuit and was able to throw a punch.

“At one point he got a little belligerent and combative and when he did I clocked him,” said Williams.

Then Brian Wong wrestled him to the ground.

“And at that particular time all of the neighbors just piled on top of him and once the neighbors piled on top of them he had it because somebody was sitting out of his behind somebody was putting a leg on his arm he couldn’t move it all,” said Wong.

It took teamwork by the homeowners who live in Munger Place to catch the 16-year-old while others called police.

“It was neighborhood solidarity,” said Moffa. “Everyone converged at that moment and basically encircled him and corralled him.”

Homeowners said they have been warning each other online about the teenager who is one of three they say have been causing trouble.

Now, it’s one down two to go for these citizen crime fighters.

The teenager was charged with burglary while at least three of the homeowners are nursing cuts and bruises from an extraordinary takedown.

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