Maltese hailed ‘superman’ after chasing and apprehending armed robber

On the night of July 28, Stagno Navarra who happens to be the cousin of the Maltese footballer Luke Dimech and nephew of the recently deceased referee Richard Stagno Navarra, was heading home with his friend after a concert when they saw a man wearing a balaclava running out of a petrol station store holding tightly a red bag.

Nick told The Sunday Times that, “on a decision based purely on instinct and adrenaline from the concert”, he told his “mate” that they should run after the villain.

The two men ran after the thief down the streets for 300 metres and found him hiding under a parked truck. The thief held a coward side to his act and asked the guys if they would let him go if he gave them the bag. They both replied yes and as Nick saw him reaching for his pocket, on impulse he grabbed him and pinned him against the wall.

Fortunately for them Nick  is also a fitness instructor and this act saved their lives, as later on it transpired that the man was armed with a gun.

As the three of them were heading back to the store to call the police, the robber escaped their hold and fled, leaving the stolen goods with the heroes. After contacting the police, it turned out that the robber was linked to other two robberies in Melbourne’s north on the same night.

“We weren’t afraid when it happened because I’ve known my mate for years, so we had each other’s backs. I would probably do the same thing again, although if I knew he had a gun I’d maybe have to think twice,” the Maltese migrant said.