3AW MORNINGS EXCLUSIVE

A man who set after a hooded thief armed with a knife outside a Hallam shopping centre says crime is out of control in the area.

Sebastian Ruisi was walking in the carpark at Spring Square when he heard shouting between a woman and a man.

He initially thought nothing of it.

“Then I started to walk towards Coles and heard – ‘help, help, help’ – I turned around and saw him run away,” Mr Ruisi told 3AW Mornings.

He quickly gave chase, but was unable to catch the man in question.

It turned out he was armed with a knife and had robbed a nearby tobacconist.

“She (the victim) was so shaken,” Mr Ruisi explained.

Mr Ruisi’s own business has been hit by thieves recently, with the factory next door to his business robbed a staggering four times in four weeks.

“It’s happening too much,” he said.

“They actually look at the cameras and stick up their finger like they don’t care.”

Click PLAY below to hear how it unfolded