Scarecrow with a heart saves the day

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - They were having a Halloween party in the right place at the right time. Virginia Beach police told WAVY.com several costumed revelers saved a robbery victim.

A stuffed scarecrow leans against a wall at the Willow Lake apartment complex in Virginia Beach, with a smirk stretched across its face. The smile could be joy for a fellow scarecrow; one people are calling a hero.

"I think I was doing the right thing," Samuel Ramos said.

The scarecrow costume Ramos was wearing Saturday night has long been removed, but the lasting memory from the holiday has not.

"We were doing a barbeque," Ramos added. "Me and my friends saw this guy running."

Ramos was standing outside on the porch. As the man darted by, a woman ran behind him.

"He just robbed this lady at gunpoint," Ramos said. "So right there I started running too."

Ramos' sprint took him past a giant lake and unsuspecting ducks. He was chasing the suspect and gaining ground.

"I kept chasing him and so he jumped the fence," Ramos added. "I didn't jump the fence because of my Halloween costume."

Police say the scarecrow soon cornered the suspect on the next block. What the suspect didn't know was this scarecrow was also carrying a gun. Ramos, a sailor stationed on the USS Kearsarge, has a concealed weapons permit.

"I went with my gun and I said 'hey man drop it,'" Ramos yelled at the suspect. "I told him give me your gun and I'll let you go."

Police say Edward Morris handed over his gun to Ramos. The trick was a treat for police. Ramos held Morris until police arrived.

"I was thinking if I let him go right now maybe he can do the same thing later to somebody else," Ramos added.

Police recovered the victim's purse and returned it to her.

22-year-old Edward Morris of Chesapeake is charged with Robbery and Use of a Firearm in the Commission of a Felony. He is being held in the Virginia Beach Correctional Facility without bond.