Cell Phone Thief In Buenos Aires Picked The Wrong Russian Tourist To Steal From

New footage shows the moment a phone thief was hit by instant karma after trying to steal a phone from a tourist, seeing bystanders rush to her aid.

Alexandra Doketova, 33, was on a bicycle in Buenos Aires, Argentina's capital, when two motorcycle bandits decided to make her their next victim.

The pair rode up alongside her as she was stopped at a pedestrian crossing and one attempted to snatch the phone out of her hand.

Not only did she manage to cling onto her phone, she also grabbed onto the man who attempted to snatch it.

She refused to let go, holding onto his leg with all her strength.

He tried to break free as his partner, 31, rode away on the motorbike.

But Alexandra kept holding his leg and was dragged roughly along the street as he tried to break free.

It was then that motorists started stopping to help her, parking their cars to block his getaway.

They pinned him down and kicked him, holding him until police arrived and detained the man.

His accomplice was caught and detained hours later, local media reported.

The woman sustained head injuries during the incident.

In a raid of the homes of the suspects, police found 10 mobile phones.