Actor George Pogatsia, who is known for his roles playing bad guys on shows such as Law & Order and The Sopranos, got the chance to be a real-life hero when he helped a young woman in New Jersey escape a potential abduction.
While speaking to NBC News, George explained he saw a concerning dispute between a man and a woman outside of his home. “This guy was just insistent on trying to get this girl to go with him,” he said.
Pogatsia recalled seeing a 19-year-old girl and her cousin stumbling down the street, noting they appeared to be intoxicated. They were also with a strange man who looked like he was about to kidnap the girl.
“She was under five feet [tall] herself. This guy was probably about 6’2 and he took them by the hand and pulled them down the street,” George said.
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After Pogatsia saw the interaction, he called 911 and told the operator that the man was running down Hancock Avenue. Pogatsia added that the man was dressed all in black while he said he threatened the man to get away from the girl.
“Where you going motherf**ker? Where you going?” he was heard saying in the 911 audio, which was obtained by TMZ.
George also shared that it was his wife, Yolanda Pogatsia, who first realized something was wrong.
“He said to her…’Don’t let them call the police because they will detain you.’ Basically he was threatening ICE would come and deport her,” Yolanda told the outlet.
As the man and the girl made their way to Bowers Street, George said he saw the man hoist the teen girl onto his shoulder. George then knew the situation had escalated and he needed to further step in.
“That’s when I demanded to the guy, I told him to put the girl down, demanded that he put her down,” he said.
While speaking to 911, George told the operator that both women said they didn’t know the guy that was following them.
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“He dropped her like a sack of potatoes…then he ran back this way and and I chased after him,” George said.
Police eventually arrived at the scene and the girl was safe, though George noted that the man got away.
In light of the situation, George has been praised as a hero for stepping in to help the girl. “I usually play a bad guy, you know? But it’s a lot more rewarding to be a real life good guy,” he said.
