Video has emerged of a citizen’s arrest in Surrey, B.C., in which a homeowner subdued a man by tying a belt around his neck.

Witness Ajay Maharaj says he was getting ready for work on last Tuesday morning when he heard screaming.

“I locked my kids inside the house, put my alarm on, I took my baseball bat, I ran out there,” he said.

It turned out the screaming was from one of three robbery suspects, who looked like he was in a “dog leash” and pleading to be let go.

“I saw him on the ground. He was beat, like his face was all swollen, and he had bruises everywhere,” Maharaj said.

About 10 people had gathered around. “I’m going to help a neighbour out,” he said. “I’m sure they’d do the same for me.”

The suspect has been taken to hospital for minor injuries.

Surrey RCMP Cpl. Scotty Schumann said charges have been laid against the man and two other suspects, who fled by car.

Cpl. Schumann said he believes the citizen’s arrest made it easier for them to identify the other two suspects.

However, he warned people to be careful when considering taking matters into their own hands. “It’s understandable that someone from the public wants to protect their property,” he said. “It’s a risk. The risk can be grave.”

In addition to physical risks, there are legal risks, according to criminal defence lawyer Lawrence Myers.

“You have to be very careful that you don’t detain them too long or don’t detain them unreasonably,” he said.

Toronto grocer David Chen faced a number of charges including forcible confinement and assault after apprehending a man who stole from his shop in 2009. He was found not guilty of the charges in 2010.

Roy Houghton, 28, is charged with assaulting an individual lawfully detaining a person, according to Surrey RCMP.

Robert Wyatt, 39, is charged with break and enter, assault, assault causing bodily harm and failure to comply with probation.

Andres Naranjo, 23, is charged with break and enter, assault, assault causing bodily harm, assault with a weapon and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle. Naranjo remains at large.

With a report from CTV Vancouver’s Nafeesa Karim