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Tourist foils mugger with taekwondo

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ROME, Aug. 3 (UPI) -- Police in Rome say an attempted mugger thanked officers for rescuing him from his alleged victims -- a group of South Korean tourists skilled in taekwondo.

Authorities said the 48-year-old Italian man, whose name was not released, grabbed a handbag from one of the tourists Sunday at the ancient Roman Theater of Marcellus and brandished a knife, the Italian news agency ANSA reported Monday.

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However, one South Korean disarmed the attacker using taekwondo techniques and used the martial art to keep the suspect from escaping until police arrived.

"Thank you, I was being massacred," police quoted the attacker as saying during his arrest.

Officers said the man seemed "almost grateful" to be taken to jail.

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