Exclusive: 10-Weeks Pregnant, Delaware County Woman Breaks Attacker’s Leg

http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com ^ | 07/23/2011 | n/a

[massmike]

Ten weeks pregnant, Lindsay O’Brien says she never thought twice about racing out of her Market Frankford El Train car at the 63rd St. Station last Wednesday when an alleged thief tried to steal her purse.

In an exclusive interview with Eyewitness News, the 28-year-old expectant mom from Delaware County says she chased Vaughn Matthews, a career criminal with a dozen arrests going back 19 years, down a stairwell, but when she tried to get her bag from him, he lashed out, breaking her wrist and punching her in the stomach.

That’s when O’Brien says she drew on her 3.5 years of kick-box training, leveling a kick at the suspect’s shin, shattering it in two places.

Officers say they found Matthews, screaming in pain, lying on the street.

O’Brien says after being checked out at the hospital, her baby is fine.

[Christian Engineer Mass]

wow. what kind of kick is that?

[Rembrandt]

I bet he sues.

[Tribune7]

ping

[MtnClimber]

A front kick or a side kick to a firmly planted leg would do it. Especially if the knee was locked and not bent. This is also a good way to dislocate a knee backwards with a side kick just above the knee cap on a locked knee.

[KrisKrinkle]

Not guilty. Anyone who wants to tell her different, feel free to do so.

[stboz]

There is a God after all.

Well done, Mom-to-be.

[coloradan]

Vaughn Matthews, a career criminal with a dozen arrests going back 19 years,

When will the day come that judges and/or parole boards and/or parole officers are held accountable for the crimes of the people they stupidly let back out on to the streets, when those people should instead be put away for life, or released from their mortal coil altogether?

[bigbob]

I think I learned that from Mitch Rapp ;-)

A great happy ending story!

[driftdiver]

He might but he broke her wrist and punched her before she defended herself.

[southernnorthcarolina]

Philadelphia isn’t far from Amish country.

Just sayin’.

[nerdwithagun]

If it is what I am thinking of, they train doing a lot of kicking with the tops of their feet. Best way I can describe it is stand up, put one foot out in front of you, lift it up, bend your leg at a 45 degree angle inward, push your toes down in midair, kick at the feller's leg in front of you with the top of your foot.

I am NOT giving the true specifics on the kick. I'm just giving the rough idea what it looks like. Watch a kickboxing match, they do it all the time and they can kick somebody in the face with it.

[Frank_2001]

“I bet he sues.”

And presses charges against her, making her out to be the aggressor, with a hate crime enhancement, since she done be’s a white bitch!/s;)

[Salamander]

“Officers say they found Matthews, screaming in pain, lying on the street.”

I love a funny happy ending.

[packrat35]

Not me. I don’t want my leg broken.

[Pollster1]

She's cute, and I'm sure she'll raise great kids! He looks like a thug who's getting too old to work as a predator.

[fabian]

yep, and the baby could have been killed. A quick draw of a 9mm would have worked wonders. Every good man and woman should pack heat, period. Screw the illegal laws that have set us up to be sitting ducks.

[Waverunner]

I guess she's a nominee for an Honorary Texas Ranger Award.

[Vigilanteman]

I’m with you. Companies caught dumping toxic waste into public streams or soil pay big time. So should judges and parole people who dump known criminals on the the public.

[Nervous Tick]

>> Officers say they found Matthews, screaming in pain, lying on the street.

Sounds like a good place for him. Leave him there for a week or so.

I hope the *first* ambulance came for Ms. O’Brien and her baby.