Victim fights back

She's not gonna take it. No, she ain't gonna take it.

When an Odessa man slipped up on a 24-year-old woman Thursday morning at an eastside apartment complex to grope her, it wasn't something she was prepared to put up with.

According to police the 34-year-old man grabbed the woman's chest, punched her then took off running. The victim, obviously angered, chased and caught the suspect and wrestled with him.

And though the man appeared briefly to be getting the upper hand, a good Samaritan stopped help.

Damond Love, a neighbor who was pulling into the Sunchase Apartments about 6:30 a.m. - after a 13-hour shift at Cudd Energy - drove up on the man and woman "tussling" near the entrance.

"I stepped out and said, ‘Is everything OK here?' And at that point, he got up and ran," Love said. "She got up and took off after him."

Love looked over and saw a white dually pickup with the engine running, and - having seen a description of the truck on the TV news after similar previous attacks - he took the keys from the engine and tossed them to police Cpl. Jamie Brown just as Brown arrived on scene.

Then Love and Brown joined the chase.

"I caught up with them, and he was hiding behind the balcony," Love said. "Officer Brown and Officer (Tommy) Jones weren't far behind."

After another "tussle" - one where officers ended up pepper spraying the suspect - it was over.

Jaime Lara Aranives, 34, of Odessa, was then arrested. He was charged with "assault" and "criminal trespass" - both Class A misdemeanors.

Meanwhile, Love gives lots of credit to the victim, who wasn't significantly injured.

"I may have helped, but she chased him," he said. "And when I came around the corner, she was standing there pointing at him behind the balcony. She stayed there till the whole thing was over."

Elizabeth Villanueva, who lives in an apartment neighboring the balcony where the man was caught, thanked Love Thursday morning, telling him how glad she was that the man was caught.

Villanueva said she lives alone and works at night. She's been fretful as she walks from her car to her apartment in the early mornings.

"I've been looking over my shoulder - the truth is I was scared," she said.

But not anymore.

"Thank God, he's caught," she said. "He's locked away, and that's a good thing."

Love modestly turned away praise for his actions Thursday morning.

"I'm human," he said. "I was raised by women. I have a daughter. But, how many times can you get away with the same thing? You want to live in a safe environment."

Even Odessa police officers seemed impressed by the way Love and the victim handled themselves Thursday morning.

"It's all about the citizens," Jones said.

Cpl. Sherrie Carruth said she's proud of the victim.

"That's something for me when I see women protecting themselves," Carruth said. "Now, all we've got to do is get her on the force."

WHAT'S HAPPENED?

>> Odessa police issued a news release Tuesday describing a Hispanic man wanted in connection with the assault of a woman early Tuesday at Sunchase Apartments.

>> Officers reported a woman called police at 6:20 a.m. Tuesday and reported the man assaulted her around 6 a.m., and she defended herself by kicking him. The victim told police that the suspect left the scene in a "white work truck" with a flat bed.

>> About 6:30 a.m. this morning, a man with a similar description attacked a woman, again at Sunchase Apartments.

>> The 24-year-old victim fought back and chased the suspect, pointing him out to arriving police officers when he was hiding in a balcony.

>> Jaime Lara Aranives, 34, of Odessa, was arrested Thursday morning. He was charged with "assault" and "criminal trespass" - both Class A misdemeanors.

>> Midland police are looking for a man with a similar description who's wanted in connection with six reports of assault or threat at Midland apartment complexes.