Average folks struck back at criminals recently in two separate incidents.
In the most dramatic of the cases, two men rescued a baby who was being threatened by a suspected armed robber inside an east Phoenix laundromat.
The disturbing crime began at about 3:15 a.m. Monday morning at the laundromat at 32nd and Oak streets when 40-year-old Jesus Garcia strolled in and began demanding money from customers, court records state.
One woman handed Garcia five quarters, but the callous robber threw the coins on a table and told her that if she didn't give him more money, he'd take her baby, according to police. He quickly followed up on the threat, grabbing the baby from a portable carseat and backing away.
Two men, who were apparently also inside the laundromat at the time, donned their metaphorical superhero outfits.
"They grabbed the defendant and assisted in helping the mother get her baby back," records state.
The unidentified men pinned Garcia to the ground until police arrived. He's being held in county jail and faces charges of kidnapping and disorderly conduct.
In a separate incident early Sunday, the customer of a liquor store reportedly beat an assault suspect with a baseball bat.
That debacle began, according to court records, when Brian Hadley began beating up his girlfriend while in a drunken rage. At one point, the woman and her young daughter managed to escape their apartment to get away from Hadley and fled to Sam's Liquor, 8770 East McDowell Road in Scottsdale, looking for help.
Hadley followed them over. A customer at the store heard the victim's screaming and told Hadley to quit bothering the woman. Getting involved sometimes has a price, though -- Hadley started yelling at the man, who jumped in his car and tried to drive away.
Hadley "rips open" the driver's door and started hitting the man, records state.
That's when the passenger of the car, a woman, stepped out, ready for action. Batter up!
The woman beat Hadley back, and he soon retreated to his apartment, stole his girlfriend's car and was picked up by Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community police.
Hadley got whacked pretty good, judging by his mug shot -- records state that police found him with injuries received from the bat-wielding woman.
Hadley remains in jail, accused of a long list crimes related to the incident.
