Several alert citizens in Sidaokou in western Beijing helped a robbery victim catch the man who stole her purse from her bag last Monday, Beijing Youth Daily reports.

"Without the help of so many warm-hearted people, I wouldn't have known about the robbery, much less have been able to catch the thief so quickly," Xiao Fang recalled.

At around 10:00 am on Monday as Xiao Fang left a supermarket and mounted her bike, she heard a voice call out behind her: "Someone just stole your purse!"

She chased the thief to a crossroads where an elderly man told her that the robber had turned into another road. Xiao Fang followed his instructions until she came upon a middle-aged woman who said, "Four men just jumped in a taxi. Here is the licence number."

Then, as if on cue, a police van appeared to pick up Xiao Fang.

They chased down the taxi and arrested the thief.

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