A fleeing man clutching a charity box allegedly pushed an elderly woman in front of a bus as the public chased him on foot in Dunedin yesterday.
Regent Theatre spokeswoman Hannah Molloy said a man entered the theatre foyer about 1pm and asked staff if any movies were scheduled.
When he was told the theatre was not a cinema, he stepped outside to the lower Octagon before returning to sit on a bench in the foyer.
He walked to a table displaying promotional fliers near the box-office counter, she said.
The man then allegedly snatched the donation box from the counter while apologising to the staff and ran out the door towards Princes St.
A theatre staff member and volunteer chased the man and found him outside Brimstone Nightclub and Bar being pinned on the footpath by several members of the public, she said.
A 48-year-old Dunedin man, who did want to be named, said he was walking along Princes St towards the Octagon when he saw a man ''push an old lady in front of a bus and have a swing at her''.
After seeing the woman, who he believed was in her 70s, being pushed, he tackled the man.
''I just went up and dropped him and then sat on him.''
More people helped restrain the man until he was taken into police custody.
A police spokeswoman said a 26-year-old man had been charged with theft and assault and would appear in Dunedin District Court today.
A Vault 21 staff member, who did not want to be named, said she chased the fleeing man, who when tackled, smashed the box on the ground and attempted to stuff the scattered money in his pants.
''He just went nuts,'' she said.
The woman was not injured in the incident, she said.
Ms Molloy said the money in the box was for The Regent Theatre Trust of Otago. Most of the money - about $200 - was returned.
However, it was unlikely a new box would be reinstated because of safety concerns for staff and patrons.
The box had been on the counter for about seven years and it was the first time it had been stolen, she said.
The situation was ''disappointing'' because the theatre was a charitable trust and relied heavily on people's generosity.
