Mass. candidate for Congress helps nab suspect

FALMOUTH, Mass. -- Norfolk District Attorney, William Keating is used to prosecuting criminal suspects but on Sunday he helped catch one in Falmouth, Mass.

Keating and other diners at the Country Fare Restaurant chased a man suspected of stealing a woman’s purse.

“Several people just began chasing, including us,” said Keating.

Keating and several others jumped from their seats and began chasing the man. They chased the suspected purse stealer down Main Street.

“Right on Main Street, Sunday morning where there is a guy running down the street with a purse and a whole group of people shouting ‘stop’ or ‘get him,’” said Keating.

The man dropped the purse, but continued to run, according to Keating.

“I expected to run this week, but not [Sunday],” Keating said.

Most people at that point stopped once the purse was recovered, but Keating and one other man continued to chase him until he was caught. They kept the suspect at bay until police arrived.

“Myself and a young guy, who was keeping up with me pretty good for a guy his age, we went through backyards and got him in one of the backyards,” Keating said. “He finally either ran out of gas or decided he was going to get caught.”

“This is the way it should be, people helping other people,” Keating said.

The purse contained thousands of dollars because the owner was planning a wedding and was using the cash for tips in the upcoming days. Apparently there were already warrants out for the alleged purse snatcher’s arrest.

The woman whose purse was stolen paid for Keating's breakfast.

The suspect, Christopher Jones, is scheduled to be arraigned Monday.

Keating is running in Tuesday’s primary election for the Democratic nomination in the state’s 10th Congressional District. He’s running against Sen. Robert O’Leary. The two are competing to replace U.S. Rep. William Delahunt, who is retiring after seven terms.

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