MUST WATCH: Texas mom tackles man she said was peeping in daughter’s bedroom

Feb 11, 2021, 2:53 PM

LAKE JACKSON, Texas — Dashcam video of a Texas mom is going viral after her near-perfect tackle of a man she said she caught peeping into her daughter’s bedroom late last year.

The video is blowing up across the internet after the dashcam recording of the Texas mom’s tackle released earlier this week.

Phyllis Pena was coming back from an early morning trip to the store when she said she saw a man in her yard peeking into her 15-year-old mother’s bedroom. Luckily, she said her daughter wasn’t inside

Pena said the man took off and she called the police. Shortly after, Officers in Lake Jackson found the man nearby but he tried to run away. 

That’s when Pena stepped in. Literally.

“[My] first instinct was just to make sure he didn’t go any further,” she told Click 2 Houston.

Pena was still outside with her daughter after police had arrived on the scene, and dashcam footage captured by one of the police cruisers shows the Texas mom taking a few steps out of her front yard before wrapping the fleeing man up in a perfect tackle.

The video then shows her daughter run out into the street to hold the man down.

“The cop fist-bumped me and he was like, ‘Hey, so I heard the Texans are looking for a new linebacker,’” Pena said.

The man they tackled was Zane Hawkins, 19. He has since been jailed and faces charges of possession of a controlled substance, evading arrest and resisting arrest. Local police say there could be more charges added. 

Pena said she loves her kids and was just making sure she was protecting them.

Online reaction to the Texas mom tackle

Pena’s impeccable form and rock-solid hit has taken the internet by storm, and people have some high praise for her motherly instincts.

Her form has also gained the attention of sports reporters and NFL scouts.

We want to hear from you.

Have a story idea or tip? Send it to the KSL NewsRadio team here.

Clint Pumphrey, Utah State University Outdoor Recreation Archive curator, points to a photo of when...

Bryanna Willis

The worlds largest collection of outdoor gear designs is at a Utah university

What started at Utah State University as a collection of about 250 outdoor brands' catalogues as a way for students to be educated in outdoor design history has now grown to a design archive representing over 1,000 brands from all over the world.

17 hours ago

A SWAT team is pictured outside of a Taylorsville home Friday. (Scott G Winterton, Deseret News)...

KSL Staff

SWAT scene outside Taylorsville home forces shelter-in-place alert

An active SWAT situation in Taylorsville forced an alert to homes nearby to shelter in place on Friday. 

17 hours ago

Summertime activities at Park City Mountain Resort. Utah ski resorts are already setting opening da...

Shelby Lofton, KSL

Could a ‘Super El Niño’ deliver a big winter for Utah? Forecasters and resorts weigh in

Utah ski resorts are already setting opening dates for the upcoming winter season as meteorologists monitor what could become one of the strongest El Niño events on record.

2 days ago

Zion Silva, 6, of Saratoga Springs, is being hailed a hero after saving his 4-yearar-old brother, L...

Arianne Brown, KSL

Saratoga Springs boy being hailed a hero after saving brother, now recovering from own injuries

Six-year-old Zion Silva, of Saratoga Springs, is being called a hero after saving his 4-year-old brother from falling from a two-story window.

2 days ago

The Great Salt Lake seen in Magna, April 21. The feds have awarded a California company a $100 mill...

Logan Stefanich, KSL

California company awarded $100M to develop critical mineral facility on Great Salt Lake shore

Great Salt Lake's northeastern shore was the site announced on Thursday for a commercial lithium extraction and refining facility.

2 days ago

A pair ice cream cones sit on the service counter at the BYU Creamery on Ninth in Provo on Monday, ...

Dee-Ann Durbin, AP Business Writer

Ice-cream cones, the ingenious invention of American immigrants

The story goes that in 1904, at the St. Louis World's Fair, a Lebanese-born ice cream maker ran out of cups and a Syrian immigrant rolled his pastries into cones.

2 days ago

Sponsored Articles

Whether you are chasing pristine beaches, fresh raspberry shakes, or endless water sports, this spo...

Bear Lake

Road trip ready: How Bear Lake became the go-to destination for Western U.S. travelers

Whether you are chasing pristine beaches, fresh raspberry shakes, or endless water sports, this sponsored guide—brought to you in partnership with Bear Lake —uncovers everything you need to plan the ultimate getaway.

How Harper Clinic's IOP is changing the face of mental health treatment in Utah....

Harper Clinic

A new standard of care: How Harper Clinic’s IOP is changing the face of mental health treatment in Utah

As demand for mental health care continues to rise across Utah County, Orem's Harper Clinic says it is trying to close the gap with a more comprehensive approach to mental health treatment.

The weight of depression is real. Many people spend years fighting it, adjusting medications, manag...

Harper Clinic

Breaking free from depression: How Harper Clinic’s TMS Therapy can help

Breaking free from depression: How Harper Clinic's TMS Therapy can help.

mental health...

Andrew Adams, KSL

Library discussions bring men’s mental health to the surface

Therapists say it’s common for men to repress things like trauma, grief, stress and anxiety. Now, a new weekly series of discussions aims to help men bring it all to the surface.

...

Bear Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau

Cozy up in Bear Lake: Discover the magic of a winter getaway

SALT LAKE CITY – The holiday season shines brightest when time slows down and loved ones gather. Gifts, decorations and festive music come and go, but shared experiences tend to last much longer. Research supports that idea. Dr. Theresa E. DiDonato told Psychology Today that vacations can strengthen relationships by creating meaningful time away from daily […]

...

Harper Clinic

Rewriting the path to healing: Inside Harper Clinic’s whole-person mental health model

OREM — A few decades ago, you’d have had a hard time finding a doctor to treat both your mind and body; And a century ago, you’d have been hard-pressed to find a doctor to treat your mind at all. Today, medical professionals are understanding more and more the undeniable connection between the body and […]

MUST WATCH: Texas mom tackles man she said was peeping in daughter’s bedroom