The vigilante said he was driving to his daughter’s house with his wife when the Golf hit two parked cars, which rebounded onto his vehicle.

The 66-year-old performed a citizen’s arrest on a 16-year-old boy as he tried to exit the car, holding him down until police arrived about 3.30pm.

”I just knew if he got up he’d just bolt, so I thought I’d hold him pinned down,” the man said.

“I wasn’t thinking that when I approached the car, I just thought there could be someone stuck in the car.”

Another teenager fled the scene and ran into a nearby home, where he was chased away by a resident with a shovel.

Teacher’s aide Sam Shaw, whose car was caught in the cross fire, praised the vigilante’s efforts.

“People are kind of saying like ‘let him go’ – no, don’t let him go,” Shaw said.

“If it didn’t hit me it could’ve hit a kid. Like there were kids around and it was just scary.

“It was pretty big of him to actually hold him down for so long until the cops came so it was pretty good.”

The 16-year-old boy from the Frankston area, who arrested at the scene, has been released.

He is expected to be charged at a later date.

Police will allege the VW was stolen from Rowville on Sunday.