Vietnamese filmmaker apprehends female thief in Florida hotel

Vietnamese filmmaker Tan Duong and his female companion Anh Nguyen, who were in the U.S. to attend a film festival this week, were staying at the Travelodge hotel in downtown Orlando.

On Wednesday, Duong was sleeping when his friend screamed after finding a stranger in the room, trying to steal their cellphones and wallets. He woke up and grabbed the burglar’s hands as she tried to escape, the Fox 35 Orlando newspaper reported Thursday.

The burglar was identified as Nicole Watkins, 40, a homeless woman.

She also attempted to run away while being taken to local police station and drug paraphernalia were found on her person. She is now in custody and faces charges of burglary, possession of drugs and attempted escape, police said.

The Vietnamese tourists said they never thought they would experience something like a scene out of movie.

In June last year, an American man, Julius Trotter, stabbed two Vietnamese tour employees to death in a hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, while robbing them. He was arrested a month later and could be sentenced to death for the murder.