Woman, 75, Douses Alleged Thief With Gas



Dec 6, 9:36 PM (ET)


TYLER, Texas (AP) - Carjacked at knifepoint while pumping gas, a 75-year-old woman didn't give in without a fight. Mary Gean Smyth opened the door of her sport utility vehicle and doused the assailant in gas.

"I'm sure he was burning like mad," Smyth said of the Tuesday carjacking. "I mean, I drowned him right in the face."

Police caught up to Smyth's GMC Denali Envoy at a restaurant and arrested 52-year-old John Clay Stricker Jr., a transient with an address in the North Texas town of Lake Kiowa, Tyler police spokesman Don Martin said.

Smyth said police told her the suspect had apparently taken a shower because he had a bag with fuel-soaked clothes and a bar of soap, the Tyler Morning Telegraph reported in its Wednesday editions.

Smyth's wallet and credit cards were found in the car, but her cash was gone. A representative of the Brookshire grocery store, where Smyth was getting gas, has offered to pay for car cleaning and repairs, Smyth said.

Stricker was being held without bail Tuesday in the Smith County Jail on charges of parole violation, aggravated robbery and theft.

gives a whole new meaning to the term 'golden shower'

Should have tossed a match at him too.

too bad she didn't lite him on fire.

Quick thinking! Good for her

I heard about this. They had her on Fox News Channel. She sounded nice, but was sick of people trying to hijack cars. She said she hasn't gotten her car back yet. The dude went to a nearby hotel to clean the gas off of him. O_O

Wow ....

Well good for her, fighting back and refusing to become a complete victim.

I knew a guy years ago who did something similar to this, and I was there to see it.
Guy was a Vietnam veteran who had twice been there. He was small, about 5'4 inches but wiry.
We were standing at a pump, putting gas in his car, when this man pulls up, starts pumping his gas and lights a cigarette!
Guy told him, nicely, "Hey. Not a good idea to smoke while fueling. Please put that out."
The man sneers at him, calls him a little s**t, and tells Guy what to do with himself.
So Guy, cooly, told the man with more authority in his voice: "Put it out! Now!"
The man FLICKED his cigarette at Guy, hitting him in the chest, then laughed.
Guy pulled the gas nozzle from his tank and hosed down the guy. Then, being a smoker, Guy whipped out his Ronson lighter, held it to the guy's face and said, "Wanna smoke now, (expletive deleted)?"
The man was terrified he was about to be lit on fire.
He stopped pumping, went in to pay for his gas right away, came out and sped off.
Guy was small and wiry, as I said, but could have kicked the man's butt. He was a real scrapper.
I hope that man was suitably impressed. Served his stupid butt right!

Good one on granny!! I'm for setting him on fire too.

*clink* *schuck*