A quick-thinking American tourist turned the tables on a London phone thief after a dramatic street chase, using her athletic prowess to recover her stolen mobile.
A Birthday Trip Interrupted by Crime
Elizabeth Lopez Aguilar, a 24-year-old safety advisory manager from Houston, Texas, was celebrating her birthday in the capital. She was en route to watch a performance of Hercules in the West End and was recording content for TikTok when the incident occurred.
In a brazen daylight snatch, a man grabbed her phone right from her hands. Elizabeth initially thought it was a prank by her boyfriend, Abraham Tahtouh. "At first I was laughing because I thought it was my boyfriend playing a prank," she said. "But then I realised it was real. I was shocked but immediately kicked into full gear."
The Pursuit: Thief vs. Triathlete
What the perpetrator did not know was that he had targeted an accomplished track and endurance athlete. Elizabeth has spent the last two years intensifying her training, competing in sprint and Olympic-distance triathlons and is currently preparing for an Ironman competition.
"I genuinely think the thief had no idea who he was messing with," Elizabeth stated. "I immediately went into running mode and wouldn't stop until the guy was caught." Her boyfriend Abraham joined the pursuit immediately.
Between them, they quickly trapped the thief. Elizabeth described the moment: "We caught him quickly after I was able to grab his arm and take the phone back."
Resolution and a Decision Not to Escalate
Following the successful recovery of her property, Elizabeth and Abraham made a decision. As the man did not fight back and left the scene immediately, they chose not to pursue further legal action or call the police on this occasion.
"We didn't pursue any additional legal action or call the police as the man did not fight back and immediately left once we recovered the phone," she explained. The event, which took place on 20 January 2026, serves as a stark reminder for visitors and residents to remain vigilant, but also a unique tale of a thief who picked the wrong target.
