U.S. Tourist Goes Viral After Tracking Down Teen Pickpocket In Venice And Holding Her By Ponytail Until Police Arrive

You might remember from a couple years ago Monica Poli, the Italian woman who went viral on TikTok for her daily filming of pickpockets in which she would yell in Italian, "Attenzione! Pickpocket!" to warn tourists.

Well, move over Monica, because the internet has a new anti-pickpocket folk hero, a mom of eight from North Carolina who's gone mega-viral after having her purse stolen in Venice.

Her response? She grabbed the pickpocket by the ponytail and held her in place until the police came.

Karis McElroy, one of the woman's daughter's, shared the incident in a since deleted TikTok that instantly went viral.

The video shows McElroy's mom yanking the girl by the ponytail as she and her friend protest, while yelling so that everyone could hear:

"You stole my purse with my passport in it!"

Incredibly, the young pickpocket can be heard shrieking threats to call the police on McElroy if she didn't unhand her.

McElroy responded with what has now become a catchphrase online.

"Little girl, I've got eight kids, you're not getting to me!"

In a follow-up video, Karis McElroy shared screenshots of texts from her mom explaining exactly what went down.

The incident happened just as McElroy and her husband had arrived in Venice and were making their way to their Airbnb. When they got there, they realized her backpack was unzipped and her purse was gone.

They immediately had the quick-thinking idea to begin tracking the AirPods inside, which led them to the girls that had robbed them. That's when McElroy grabbed one by the ponytail.

In the interim, an accomplice got away with the purse, which ended up back at the airport with thankfully everything still inside except for around $200 in cash and the AirPods.

Back at the scene of the crime, things quickly got dramatic: When police arrived, one of the pickpockets swung McElroy's heavy water bottle at an officer, hitting McElroy in the head instead and forcing her to go to the hospital for stitches.

Their Airbnb host told them that the three girls are well-known pickpockets in Venice, which like many European cities has a serious and growing problem with the crime.

Online, McElroy has quickly become a hero, especially among Americans who all had the same reaction: Between how beleaguered we are by the unending drama in our country and our lack of adequate vacation time, you really should not f*ck with us!

Karis McElroy also reported that her mom said everyone in the neighborhood was helpful towards them, with a nearby shopkeeper even giving her a free necklace to reward her for fighting back.

The pickpocket whose ponytail she grabbed, who is just 14, was arrested but has since been released on bail according to Italian media.