A 40-year-old Melbourne man has become an unexpected internet sensation after chasing down a teenage thief wearing only his underwear.
Grant Brown, who lives in Hawthorn, woke up at around 3.30am on October 13 hearing strange noises downstairs. When he went to check, he found two teenage intruders going through his belongings.
“I wanted to scare them, so I started screaming and chased them,” Brown said Today show. “One of them tried to climb over the neighbor’s fence but got stuck halfway – I pulled him down.”
Brown was able to capture and detain one of the teenagers, aged 15. Without his own phone, he forced the suspect to call the police himself.
“I lifted his shirt to check for weapons. He said, ‘Don’t hurt me, just call the police.’ So I said, ‘Okay, you call,’ and I used his phone to dial the number,” Brown recalled. “I kept him there until the officers arrived.”
Security cameras at a nearby house captured the dramatic moment, showing Brown in his underwear running barefoot in the street. Within hours, the footage spread across social media, earning it the nickname “Captain Underpants,” after the popular children’s book character.
The viral clip quickly made its way to TikTok, Instagram and X (Twitter), where users praised Brown’s courage and humor, calling him a “real-life underwear superhero.”
Brown said the boys claimed they were just out for a jog, but he believes they were trying to steal his car. Police later arrested the second suspect, aged 14. Both were charged with two counts of aggravated burglary.
One of the burglaries occurred that same night, around 2:30 a.m., in nearby Elphin Grove, where another homeowner awoke to the sound of dogs barking and found a teenager entering through a doggy door.
The homeowner pushed the intruder out and both suspects fled before being tracked down by police. Authorities are now trying to detain the two teenagers while the investigation continues.
Despite the humor surrounding the viral nickname, locals praised Brown’s bravery.
“I had no intention of becoming a hero,” Brown joked. “I just reacted, even though next time I might put my pants on first.”
His quick actions not only protected his home, but also helped police capture two suspects linked to multiple break-ins in the area.
Sources: Today Show Australia
