Soldier on leave catches man who attacked woman with rock after her cries for help

A soldier on leave chased down and detained a man in his 50s who had attacked a woman in her 20s with a rock and fled the scene, handing him over to police, it emerged Sunday.

Staff Sgt. Min Gyeong-hyeon, 24, of the 66th Brigade of the Army's 21st Division, apprehended the suspect, identified only as A, near Myongji University in Cheoin-gu, Yongin, at around 1 a.m. on Oct. 5 and turned him over to police, according to Yonhap.

Min was on his way home after drinking with friends when he heard a woman cry out, "Please help me." He chased A for about 20 meters before catching him.

Police initially believed Min was an ordinary civilian, but after confirming he was an active-duty soldier, they decided to present him with a commendation and a reward for his role in apprehending the suspect.

A has a prior criminal record and told police he could not remember his motive for the attack.