Sam Haobsh tackled an armed robber at The Suit Store in Paramus on Dec. 20, 2021, after wrongly determining that the bandit did not have the weapon he threatened to use when he demanded money.
Security video inside The Suit Store outlet on Route 4 in Paramus caught the incident on camera, starting when the thief walked in on Monday morning and handed a plastic bag to Haobsh. He then demands cash and indicates he’s armed with a gun.
After handing over cash from the register, Haobsh is seen scuffling and then taking down the bandit.
“He didn’t brandish the weapon, so as soon as I felt there was an opportunity to subdue him, that’s what I did,” said Haobsh, a Green Party member who says he trains in mixed-martial arts at Team Pure MMA in Woodland Park.
“We’re happy with the outcome. It’s not something that we would recommend anybody doing. It’s not worth it, but he did do a fantastic job,” said Paramus Police Det. Dan Cullen.
Police typically advise crime victims to take no action that may jeopardize their safety but make mental notes of the robber’s appearance so they may describe the suspect, including race, age, height, hair and eye color, clothing, or anything unusual about the thieves’ appearance such as scars or tattoos.
Haobsh was not hurt and the 29-year-old suspect that he subdued was charged with robbery and gun possession. Paramus police officers found a .38-caliber pistol on the man when they arrested the bandit.
Haobsh was originally from Totowa, but he spent his childhood in Dallas, Texas, before returning to New Jersey while he was in middle school.
He attended Passaic County Technical Institute and says has been an athlete his whole life, playing football and wrestling in high school.
Authorities advise citizens not to resist the robber. because the money is not worth risking a life.
“Take no action that would jeopardize the safety of personnel or customers,” says one police website. “Cooperate with the robber and do not try to become a hero. Robbers almost never hurt anyone who cooperates.”
No one was hurt and Haobsh said everyone in the store was shocked but his instincts told him to do what he believed was right, so he pounced.
“I just basically felt if I made a move that I would be able to secure him until law enforcement arrived,” Haobsh said. “That’s what happened.”