This year several crime victims took it upon themselves to fight back against their attackers, and videos captured the incidents. Here is a recap of some of 2024’s most notable examples.

ROAD RAGE RESPONSE

Back in March, a truck driver was attacked by a colleague on the road. Deputies were called to a Love’s Travel Stop for a report of shots fired during a road rage incident along Interstate 75 near Ocala, Florida, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) said.

The victim said he was driving a semi-truck southbound on Interstate 75 when Dylan Belleastin, 43, threw a water bottle at his truck.

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“The victim pulled over to confront Belleastin but decided against it and drove away,” MCSO said on Facebook. “Belleastin then continued to follow the victim and eventually pulled alongside him again, at which time he fired several shots toward the victim.”

Deputies say the victim decelerated in an attempt to avoid being struck before returning fire toward Belleastin “out of fear for his own life.”

Dash camera footage from Belleastin’s semi-truck cab “clearly depicted him shooting at the victim at two separate times,” MCSO said. The suspect was arrested days later, and charged with aggravated assault, criminal mischief, and displaying a firearm during the commission of a felony.

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BIKINI BARISTA STRIKES BACK

In June, the owner of a Seattle bikini espresso shop defended her decision to smash a customer’s windshield with a hammer after he threw coffee at her.

The incident at Taste of Heaven Espresso was caught on camera at 3 p.m. June 11 and shared in a now-viral social media video. Emma Lee, 23, told FOX 13 Seattle it was not the first time the customer had been disrespectful, and she wants him held accountable for his actions.

What transpired on video was the culmination of a 15-minute exchange over the price of a 32-ounce coffee and 24-ounce water, Lee said. The price tag was $22. 

“You don’t get to name your own price,” Lee told FOX 13, adding the man screamed, spit and tried to pry open the business’ window. “It was a threat. I felt in danger. It’s OK for him to be outraged about the price of his drinks, enough to assault me, but it’s not appropriate for me to respond?”

Police can be seen at the espresso stand taking a report of the alleged assault. (FOX 13 Seattle)

CARJACKING THWARTED

In October, a D.C. bartender was attacked on video while at a gas station by three teenagers who tried to take off with his Jeep.

The suspect, Randy White, told FOX 5 DC the teens demanded his belongings. He instead fought back until the trio eventually gave up and left the gas station.

“Where I grew up, it’s just…  I work too hard for what I have,” White told the local Fox station. “I can’t give up my property like that. It’s not in me. I wasn’t raised that way. I was just hoping that they would see that I am resisting them and they would’ve just given up or went off, but that wasn’t the case. I was able to keep them occupied and fight them off long enough that they ended up cutting their losses and hitting bricks.”

QUICK-THINKING CALLER

Not all who fought back did so physically. 

Also in October, a Florida woman who was being held captive prior to an alleged attempted rape called 911 to order a “pizza.”

“I would like to order a pizza,” a 911 call shared by Volusia Sheriff’s Office on social media starts out. “I’m so stuck in here.”

The suspect is caught by deputies on top of the victim in a field in Volusia County, Florida, on Oct. 19, 2024. (Volusia Sheriff’s Office)

“OK. Are you aware you’re calling 911?” the dispatcher asks the female caller, who responds, “Yes, I’m sure I’m calling to that number.”

Dispatchers were able to “triangulate her phone,” Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood said, explaining that the victim did not know her location. The victim was able to tell the dispatcher she was being held by an unarmed man. Once her location was determined, deputies were sent out.

The victim can be heard screaming for help in shared body camera footage.

“He’s trying to rape me. Can you help me?” she asked.

“Thank you, Lord!” she repeatedly said while crying, after being rescued. “Thank you, Jesus.”

Two families in North Carolina who were impacted by Hurricane Helene received the gifts of a lifetime on Christmas Day – a new place to call home.

The first recipient was the Penley family, of Boone, North Carolina, who lost everything during the storm.

The family of four was discharged from the hospital on Wednesday following the birth of their second child and was planning on moving into a homeless shelter until EmergencyRV stepped in.

“We weren’t gonna have that at EmergencyRV. We got this trailer here for them and it’s going to be a great place for them to stay now,” the company said in a video posted on X.

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The RV gifted to the Penleys will comfortably fit their family, which consists of two adults, a toddler and a newborn. It has a bedroom on one side of the camper and two sleeping areas on the other side, along with a nice-sized bathroom and a large kitchen area with seating at a table and a couch.

The second recipient was Timothy McCord, a 70-year-old Marine Corps veteran who served in Vietnam. Helene tore the roof off of his camper, where he continued to live despite experiencing leaks and other damage.

EmergencyRV traveled to Canton, North Carolina, to gift him a brand-new camper after McCord’s daughter contacted the company explaining that he needed help.

“You helped me turn my life around and I appreciate it,” McCord said when his new home was delivered.

Timothy McCord, 70, was gifted a brand-new camper by EmergencyRV after Hurricane Helene ripped the roof off the camper he was living in. (EmergencyRV/X)

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EmergencyRV is a non-profit organization that provides housing to displaced survivors of natural disasters and has gifted 77 campers to people impacted by Helene since the storm wreaked havoc in the Carolinas, Georgia and Tennessee at the end of September. The RVs are gifted completely free with a clean title in the recipient’s name.

The organization said it has 700 families on its waiting list who have been fully vetted and are truly in need of help following a natural disaster.

The brand-new camper that was donated and delivered to Timothy McCord through EmergencyRV. (EmergencyRV/X)

“We take this seriously as we have limited resources,” the organization said on X. “We also ensure that the family has a legal and safe place to park an RV before we will gift it and deliver to them.”

Though they prioritize veterans and first responders, EmergencyRV said they have helped families and singles who lost their home or suffered serious damage in Helene.

EmergencyRV was established by Woody Faircloth and his then 6-year-old daughter in 2018 in response to the deadly Camp Fire in Paradise, California.

Their goal was to raise enough money to bless one family impacted by the fire with a RV. They were able to do that and have since donated hundreds of RVs to victims of wildfires and other natural disasters.

A Florida man was arrested for his 35th time right before Christmas, after stealing a car and attempting to escape authorities. 

Kevin Campana, 31, was taken into custody on Monday after allegedly breaking into a local auto repair shop in Edgewater, Florida and stealing a customer’s car while wearing no shoes, according to the Edgewater Police Department. 

Campana tried to flee from the police, but the high-speed chase, which was captured on body camera video, ended in a head-on crash with a cop car. 

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He was charged with burglary, grand theft, driving with a revoked license and willfully fleeing or attempting to elude law enforcement, according to police records. 

Campana had previously been arrested 34 times, according to Volusia County inmate records. 

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Just days earlier, Campana was out on bond after being arrested Dec. 18 on a charge of attempted burglary, records show. 

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31-year-old Kevin Campana allegedly tried to flee from authorities, but the high-speed chase ended in a head-on crash with a police vehicle.  (Edgewater Police Department )

He was arrested for the first time on Sept. 18, 2011, on burglary charges, when he was just 18 years old. 

The 31-year-old career criminal has been taken into custody for a range of offenses nearly every year since his first arrest. 

His various charges over the years have included burglary, forgery, grand theft and possession of a substance. 

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Campana allegedly attempted to steal a car from an auto repair shop on Monday, while wearing no shoes, authorities say (Edgewater Police Department )

His longest time spent behind bars was more than 9 months, from Dec. 31, 2019 to Oct. 7, 2020, for probation violation, which is a felony.

Campana remains in custody in Volusia County.