*Featured image contains photo by Kindel Media
A thief in Portland, Oregon tried to steal a 1999 white Cadillac... Unfortunately for him, he picked the wrong car.
When 79-year-old great-grandmother, Noble Jean Napoleon caught the thief in the act, she wasn't having it.
Undaunted, not only did she thwart her own vehicle's theft but her actions helped authorities bust a car theft ring. And if there's any lesson to be learned from this, it's "Don't mess with Grandma."
Great-Grandma Stops a Car Thief
When Napoleon picked up her great-grandkids from school the last thing she expected to see was her Cadillac drive-by on the back of a tow truck.
Having left the car parked outside her apartment earlier that afternoon while she borrowed her son's SUV, she was just pulling out of a gas station when the tow truck rumbled past.
Knowing something was drastically wrong, she immediately sprang into action. Telling her great-grandkids to "fasten their seatbelts tight," Granny took off in hot pursuit.
"I was trailing him," she told theOregonian. "I was right on his butt."
The tow truck driver and alleged car thief, Joseph Allen Beard, 52, had no idea what was coming. (Hell hath no fury like a great-grandma whose Caddy is being stolen).
Napoleon pulled up beside the truck, rolled down her window, and yelled, "You take my damn car back where you got it from!"
Instead of stopping, Beard sped off. Undaunted, Napoleon charged.
"Let's GO!"
Noble Jean Napoleon
At one point in her chase, she enlisted the help of a few men parked on the side of the road, asking them to follow her.
Eventually, she caught up to the thief and her self-appointed deputies helped box him in. When the men got out of their cars and approached the truck driver, she yelled at them not to "beat him up."
"I need him to take my car back home," she told them.
Operation MistleTOW
When Napoleon confronted Beard, he tried to convince her that the Cadillac was his friend's car.
When that didn't work, he offered to unhitch the vehicle and leave it. But Napoleon wasn't done with him yet.
"You're taking it back where it came from," she told him. She then proceeded to follow him all the way home.
"I trailed him all the way back," she said. "I wasn't playin'."
Napoleon contacted the police shortly afterward, giving them Beard's license plate number. It was exactly what they needed to finally bust "Operation MistleTow" wide open.
Apparently, this wasn't an isolated event. For the past few months, the District Attorney’s Office’s Auto Theft Task Force had been waiting for the break they needed to stop an illegal tow truck operation stealing cars and selling them for scrap metal.
That's where our unlikely vigilante comes in.
According to the DA's Office, a representative of Maters Auto Recycling sold about 80 vehicles to Rivergate Scrap Metal, at least 22 of which were stolen. The representative is alleged to be Beard.
Thanks to Napoleon, Beard was arrested and the operation shut down.
Now, he's facing multiple charges, including Trafficking in Stolen Vehicles, Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle, Possession of a Stolen Vehicle, Theft, Criminal Mischief, Forgery, and Identity Theft. He's pleaded "Not Guilty."
Don't Mess With Grandma
While the police cautioned Napoleon not to take matters into her own hands in the future and to "be careful," the sassy septuagenarian says Beard is the one who should have been careful.
"If I had my slugger in here, he'd have been careful 'cause I would have slugged him all over everything, yes," she said.
Despite her age (or maybe because of it), Napoleon is clearly a force to be reckoned with. And she proves that when it comes to courage and fighting injustice, we all have the power to stand up. No matter our age or circumstances.
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Military Dad Defends His 4 Little Daughters When Strangers Make This Rude Remark
Military Dad of 4 Daughters Defends His Girls When Strangers Make This Rude Remark
Austin von Letkemann is the military officer strangers feel "sorry" for — and the reason is infuriating.
Whenever the devoted father leaves the house with his four children, strangers can't help but notice the officer in uniform is holding hands with 4 adorable little girls. They will tell the traditionally "masculine" and "all American" dad they feel sorry for him, because he has no sons. This dad makes one thing very clear: They are his daughters, they aren't a burden.
In a passionate video, von Letkemann took to Instagram to share with his followers that the only thing that's "difficult" about being a girl dad — is clapping back to these sexist remarks over and over again.
They Mock His Daughters To Their Face
When strangers approach Austin von Letkemann and his four daughters, they don't always realize that their comments are being overheard. They seem oblivious to the fact that his girls understand every word. Von Letkemann describes how people will approach him and, without thinking, make remarks like "I'm sorry" or even joke about his lack of sons. What they don't realize is that these comments, intended to be light-hearted or humorous, can be deeply hurtful to his daughters. These strangers are not just disrespecting von Letkemann's choices as a father; they're also sending a message to his daughters that their presence is something to be pitied. It’s a message that von Letkemann won't stand for, and he's speaking out to defend his girls from these insensitive remarksSaying "Get Your Shotgun" Isn't Funny — It's Sexist
Another common comment that Austin von Letkemann encounters is the old "better get your shotgun ready" trope, often delivered with a smirk or a wink. This line is typically intended to suggest that a father with daughters should be on high alert to protect them from potential "suitors," implying that they are objects to be guarded rather than individuals with agency.
Von Letkemann finds this line of thinking outdated and sexist. In his viral Instagram video, he points out that these jokes are not just stale — they're damaging.
By suggesting that his daughters require armed protection, the joke reinforces the idea that women are inherently vulnerable and need to be shielded from men. Von Letkemann argues that instead of promoting this narrative, society should focus on teaching respect and consent, challenging these sexist tropes at their source.
Watch Austin von Letkemann's Video:
"If I Had A Fifth Child, I'd HOPE It Was A Girl" — One Dad's Message For Other Parents
Despite the constant remarks about his lack of sons, Austin von Letkemann is clear: He wouldn't trade his daughters for anything.
In fact, he told his Instagram followers that if he were to have a fifth child, he would hope for another girl. This declaration isn't just about doubling down on his pride in his family — it's a pointed response to those who see fathering daughters as a misfortune.
Von Letkemann's stance is a powerful one, rejecting the notion that a family is incomplete without sons. He encourages others to question the assumptions behind these comments and to appreciate the joy and fulfillment that his daughters bring. By sharing his story, von Letkemann hopes to create a more inclusive perspective on fatherhood, one that values daughters just as much as sons.