WALNUT CREEK, USA —Two Good Samaritans ran down a thief who allegedly tried to steal US$10,000 worth of high-end purses from Nordstrom in Walnut Creek, California on Saturday.

Police in that city report that they received several calls about a robbery and people running out of Nordstrom, a popular department store.

A male and female suspect had reportedly entered the store and grabbed armloads of purses and handbags.

The store alarms were kicked off and the thieves muscled shoppers out of the way to run out of the store, police said.

One customer tried to grab the male suspect's arm, police said. The suspect, 42-year-old Bryan Black, of Oakland, California blasted the customer in the face with pepper spray.

A second customer tackled Black outside the store as he was running toward a waiting motorcar, police said.

Black allegedly tried to pepper spray the man, but he was overpowered and held down until security guards and police arrived to take him into custody, police said.

The female drove off in a beige-Ford Fusion.

Black is facing charges of robbery, burglary, assault, possession of stolen property, possession of burglary tools and violating parole.

The handbags were returned to Nordstrom.