Around 7 am on January 31, Phyllis Pena came back to her home in Lake Jackson, Texas from the grocery store to find an unexpected and unwelcome visitor reportedly looking into her 15-year-old daughter's window.
Since her daughter wasn't home at the time, Pena called the police and waited for them to show up. Before the perpetrator could flee, she took some pretty intense action to make sure he stayed put.
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As the police pulled up to the scene, the man, identified as 19-year-old Zane Hawkins attempted to flee. Pena made sure that didn't happen.
She intercepted him and tackled him to the ground.
"First instinct was just to make sure he didn't go any further," she said.
Pena's daughter helped hold Hawkins until the police were able to properly detain him.
"The cop fist-bumped me and he was like, 'Hey, so I heard the Texans are looking for a new linebacker.'"
"It's not very often that somebody steps in and puts themselves in harm's way to assist in apprehending somebody," said Sgt. Roy Welch.
But Pena says she was just operating as any mom would.
"My kids are my life and just making sure I protect them."
Hawkins is facing charges including evading arrest and possession of a controlled substance.
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