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Subscribe to RSSA mother in Connecticut shows WVIT's Todd Piro how she chased, tackled and pinned down a would-be burglar who threatened her family.
A Connecticut woman confronted an intruder, chased him out her her home and held him down until police arrived.
Pauline Bragg, 52, was in her Willimantic home on Sunday night when she noticed a man inside.
“I looked and there's this guy, this big shadow standing there with a flashlight,” Bragg said.
The suspect, identified by police as Ramon Rivera, ran out of the house with Bragg right behind him.
“I didn't think, 'I'm going to decide to go chase him.' It was a reaction, you know,” said Bragg.
According to Bragg, who is the mother of a teenage boy, the chase continued into the backyards of three other homes.
“We got in a scuffle. He picked up a two-by-four and hit me,” Bragg said, still nursing bruises from the altercation.
As Bragg pinned Rivera down, she called out to neighbors for help, but said no one offered to assist her.
“I looked right at them and said, 'Get over here and help me.' And you know, nobody wants to get involved,” Bragg said.
Some neighbors called 911, and police arrived and took Rivera into custody. According to Bragg, Rivera told police that he had not broken into her home, but that the two had been involved in a domestic dispute.
“All of a sudden, he said. 'I don't want to be with you anymore,' like trying to make it sound like it was domestic violence, like I was a crazy woman trying to keep her man,” said Bragg.
Police quickly determined the two did not know each other.
Rivera is charged with second-degree assault, third-degree assault, second-degree burglary, third-degree criminal mischief and fifth-degree larceny. He is being held on $200,000 bond and is scheduled to be in court Sept. 28.
According to police, Rivera has 25 prior arrests.
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She has some real loser neighbors. Couldn't help but notice the scar on her chest that looks like she has had heart surgery and yet she cold chase and tackle a man, what a woman. Her neighbors should be ashamed of themselves, someday it could be them that is in need of assistance and they would want someone to step up and help and I'd bet this woman would still be there for them without thinking a second thought.
i don't think i would have had the courage to do what she did, but hats off to her. shame on the neighbors! many years ago i was beaten by a boyfriend directly in front of a fire station with 4 firefighters standing 10 ft. away and not one of them did a thing. God bless the people who do take a chance and do the right thing for another human.
So what did you do?
Sorry ladybug - Somehow I don't believe your story. But, perhaps you get a lot of attention telling it?
Arrest her.....throw her in jail....make her join the NRA and take pistol training. In the future she can shoot the bastard and save us all a lot of money.
"25 prior arrests"...WOW! That young man (like sooo many others) is one SLOW LEARNER!
Enough already 25 arrests and he is free to ply his trade. Whats wrong here, has to be an illegal, a citizen would be in jail.
Let some real bikers move into your neighborhood, they will help you, and even help hide the bodies.
Eric Holder will have the DOJ investigate the homeowner for civil rights violations.
And then obozo will sit down and have a beer summit with them.
This guy has 25 prior arrests? Shouldn't this guy be done with his chances? He doesn't belong living in society. Time to throw away the key!
The neighbors did call the police, so not like they didn't do anything. Can kind of understand why others might not want to get into the actual physical scuffle. No way to know the circumstances, etc. It sounds like she had pretty good control!
Since Mr. Rivera has had 25 prior arrests and was still walking the streets the so-called justice system failed. It is lucky this woman was able to basically kick his ass at the end but sad that so many so-called neighbors are such deer-caught-in-headlights cowards that they did nothing. @!$%#s!
Being his 26th arrest this man should be taken off the streets permanently to spare society his continued presence.
I am not sure if someone has mentioned this already, but she sure has "bragging" rights after what she did!
All the poor guy was doing was trying to get a few of his things together to leave the psycho broad and she had to go all Rambo on his ass.
That has to be the truth of the matter even IF the cops thought they weren't a couple. After all he was a messy can by the sound of his name so probably couldn't think up the domestic dispute story on the fly, and she likely didn't want to get in trouble for harboring a likely ill eagle who forgot to use a towel on his back.
Oh BTW, for all you severely humor impaired libiots infesting comment boards the above was humorous hyperbole.
Idiot
PBgeorgia99
Libiot!!
You need some help if you think this is humor.
You failed in your attempt to be humorous; especially when you resorted to political labels to condescendingly insult others.
According to police, Rivera has 25 prior arrests.
LOL.......
I know CT has a 3 strike law, but maybe he didn't commit the same crime 3 times? I feel he should've been in the penn a long time ago.
Just think to add to his embarrassment what will happen on his cell block when the other prisoners find out how he got caught. Got his @ss kicked because he pissed off the wrong mother. 25 prior arrests that has got to be the stupidest hobby I have ever heard of (getting arrested) is he that stupid or going for a record?
Texas grace
And then y'all could have set down with obamma and had a couple of cold ones.
[channeling Obama]
Pauline Bragg acted stupidly.
Because this had EVERYTHING to do with Obama, crap. Political whinebags never shut up. If you mind your own business, keep your opinions about politics close to the cuff (we don't want to know), you might make it Tony!
I think Pauline deserves a fancy parade and an expensive catered dinner with waiters, set up in the street in front of her neighbors and they can watch through their blinds and be jealous. COWARDS!
I guess there are Kitty Genovese neighborhoods all over this country. My neighbors would have come out with baseball bats, saps, butcher knives and whatever else they could get their hands on. This lady needs to move. Sad commentary...and in Connecticut of all places.
He's lucky that's all he got because he certainly deserved worse. Obviously the legal system won't protect us.
Sometimes people react and then think about possible consequences afterwards. In this case, it worked out well for this lady. Since I don't know what the dynamics of this neighborhood are, I can only comment in that I just recently heard of someone who did intervene when a man and a women were fighting on the street and it turned out the woman was assaulting the man in a robbery attempt. At least someone called 9-1-1.
I'm glad she took him down. I have thought in the past that I might react the same way without thinking, but would have picked up my little friend before giving chase. Screw the neighbors, everybody's out for themselves. You have to take care of yourself in this world. Good for you Pauline!! I have a sister your age nobody wants to tangle with either!
unfairunbalancedfox
I am bettiing you are a scared little pussy who wouldn't have the balls enough to walk up and spout that vomit to a cops face...
Can't wait for the "excessive" force lawsuit Ramon is going to file. The problem is he'll probably win. Too bad she didn't cap his ass. First tap to the stomach so he dies a slow painful death. The second shot into the ceiling so she can later say it was a warning shot he didn't heed.
good thing for him he didnt break into my house. my alarm system is a .45 cal handgun. licensed, legally owned, and a good shot
I think in GA you can't restrain someone, even if they are stealing from you, or you will be charged with a crime akin to holding someone against their will. Stupid huh!
too bad she didn't smash his face with a brick. and her cowardly neighbors damn
No,To bad she just didn't shoot his coward ass. But, lucky for her. He didn't shoot her.
Way to go Pauline. I would have helped you.
Bricks are hard to hang onto if you have small hands. I can think of better blunt weapons: baseball bat (perennial favorite), golf club, cast iron frying pan (my choice).....
Too bad she didn't have a gun. This guy needs "removed"!