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No soft target: Perth ice cream vendor makes citizen's arrest on alleged thief

A soft serve vendor has shown he's no soft target, pulling off a citizen's arrest when a thief tried to rob his ice cream van in Perth's north.

Police allege a 22-year-old man lay in wait for the 40-year-old to park his van in Ocean Reef on Thursday night, before bursting into the vehicle and stealing cash while threatening the driver with pepper spray.

But as he tried to leave the van through the service window he was nabbed by the driver and another man, who detained him until police arrived.

“(He went) through the door, came around and then snatched his till,” the owner said.

The window where it's alleged the man tried to escape. Source: 7 News
The window where it's alleged the man tried to escape. Source: 7 News

“And then just tried to walk out the door again and grabbed him, pulled him back into the van and then he tried to stumble and they had a scuffle.”

He is due to appear before the Joondalup Magistrates Court later today.