A 23-year-old Ann Arbor woman used her cellphone to stop a would-be thief near North Division and East Kingsley streets Wednesday night.
But not by calling police.
The woman threw the phone at a man who tried to steal her purse and scared him away, said Ann Arbor police Lt. Renee Bush.
The woman told police she was walking home near the intersection at 10:22 p.m. when a man approached her from behind and asked for her purse.
"The victim stated that she turned and threw her cell phone at him," Bush stated in a release. "He ran away."
The woman was not hurt.
The suspect was described as a black male in his 40s with facial hair about 5 feet 10 inches tall. He was wearing a dark, puffy jacket and a knit cap or hood.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Ann Arbor Police Tip Line at (734) 794-6939.
John Counts covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at johncounts@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.