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Journalism of Courage
A 25-year-old Costa Rican woman is winning hearts after a video that came to light shows her taking down a thief using her instinct and quick thinking at a restaurant. Sol Vargas, 25, did not hesitate when a thief tried to snatch her bag while she was paying for breakfast at a restaurant in San Isidro de El General. The attempted robbery occurred while she was standing at the counter.
In the now-viral video, the man approached her from behind and grabbed her bag. But Vargas was not about to let him get away. She caught him using her jiu-jitsu skills, wrestled the thief to the ground, and managed to trap him until restaurant staff called the police. “This guy grabs my bag, and I think, ‘he’s not taking it’,” Vargas told local media. “I grabbed him, threw him down, and, honestly, yes, I hit him, made him bleed and everything,” she said, according to LowKick MMA.
The report further stated that bystanders said she used what appeared to be a triangle choke, a common Brazilian jiu-jitsu move, to keep him pinned down. Despite the suspect’s struggle, Vargas maintained control.
Watch the viral video here:
The video quickly gained traction, winning plaudits for Vargas. “Just let her handle it, worthless bro in the red shirt,” a user wrote. “That’s impressive, quick thinking and skill put to real use,” another user commented.
“Haha dude is an embarassment and she is an absolute BEAST,” a third user reacted.
The report added that the thief ended up with facial injuries and was taken into custody by the police shortly after. Vargas said she had around 100,000 Costa Rican colones (over Rs 17,000) in her bag at the time. “I work hard, and no one’s just going to take my things like it’s nothing,” she said.
Restaurant owner Francisco Bermúdez, who witnessed the scene, said, “I was speechless. It surprised me as much as everyone else who’s seen the video,” LowKick MMA quoted him.
The report noted that Vargas has no formal training in martial arts or jiu-jitsu. After watching the viral video, her mother recognised some of her movements as classic Brazilian jiu-jitsu holds, such as a triangle choke, armbar, and full mount.
“My mum says it was some kind of jiu jitsu hold or Brazilian technique or whatever. But like I told her, I don’t know anything about that. It just came out of me,” Vargas said.
Vargas also revealed that this wasn’t the first time she had had to defend herself. Just two months earlier, she confronted a man who harassed her after work, though she did not report that incident to the authorities.
“Now that I know I had the initiative to do these things, I would like to practice some martial art or self-defense. Because you never know when something like this could happen,” she said.
