A woman who got her purse snatched is calling a grocery store manager her hero. But the manager who came to the rescue is now in hot water.
Cheryl Overholt is having a tough year.
"I haven't worked since February pretty much because of my health issues," said Overholt.
So she needs every dollar in her pocketbook. Last week, she needed it to buy a few groceries at a Venice Publix. But while walking down a store aisle, a teenager ran past and yanked her purse out of the cart.
"I was like, 'Hey! That's my purse! Get him!" Overholt said.
Thankfully, store workers heard her cries and a manager took off, chasing down the purse snatcher through the parking lot and finally nabbing the 16-year-old across Highway 41.
"Absolutely we all feel he did the right thing and was very brave. I want to say, 'Thank you!'" said Overholt.
The purse snatcher was arrested and charged with grand theft.
"Nobody was hurt and it was an awesome thing getting my purse back," said Overholt.
But Cheryl has heard that Publix is punishing her hero for his good deed. Overholt's been told the manager's been disciplined, maybe even demoted, for violating store policy by going too far to stop a crime.
The store is only saying, "The safety of our customers and associates is a priority at all of our locations and we take matters such as this very seriously. Although we are unable to discuss the details of associate matters, we have fully investigated this incident and made a decision based on the facts."
"What's morally correct, that's what we need to look at. Not just stand there and watch someone take off," said Overholt.
Hundreds of people in Venice who have heard about what happened are standing by her, starting an online petition, hoping the manager eventually gets rewarded, not punished, for going the extra mile to help a customer in need.
