When a white Haval pulled up outside Perry’s home in Mudgeeraba on Wednesday, his intuition immediately kicked in.
“I noticed three individuals getting out and sprinting up the road, which struck me as quite odd,” Perry recounted to 9News.
“At that moment, I also noticed a police helicopter circling overhead.
“I rushed inside, grabbed my phone, and contacted the authorities.”
While many would choose to stay indoors, Perry boldly ventured out, armed with his reliable baseball bat.
“I had no idea if they had knives or any other weapons,” he admitted.
“I wanted to be between them and the car, I did not want them getting back in that car.”
Confronting the gang as they approached him, two teens fled but another wasn’t so lucky.
“He was crying, he was a mess,” Perry said.
“He’s a young kid he shouldn’t be out at night at that hour.”
Quick-thinking led Perry to flash his phone torch to get PolAir’s attention with a police car arriving on the scene “about 30 seconds later”.
The boy was immediately arrested but police are still searching for his friends.
The arrested 15-year-old will spend Easter behind bars after being remanded in custody and facing charges of stealing and unlawful use of a motor vehicle.
He’s due to appear before the Southport Children’s Court later this month.
The trio are accused of stealing the car from Tegan Kelly’s Oxenford home that same day.
“You feel just defeated and empty and gross and sick and just constantly on edge,” Kelly said.
Traumatised but thankful for the help of a stranger.
“I’d say he’s definitely a hero, an absolute hero,” she added.
Perry doesn’t think so but he has earned himself a new nickname.
“One of them called me batman ’cause I had a bat in me hand but that’s about all,” he laughed.
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