15-year-old meets woman he saved from carjacking outside of Riverview Publix
RIVERVIEW, Fla. - Fifteen-year-old Andrew Papp is a hero, but the sophomore at Riverview High School hardly said a word about it in school.
His principal, Brian Spiro, told Andrew’s Junior ROTC class how he saved a woman as others stood and watched.
"Andrew saw that as an opportunity to step in and protect her, and he did so decisively," Spiro said.
Andrew didn’t pause for an instant when he dashed across a supermarket parking lot to save the woman from a violent carjacker.
"He told me to give him my keys, and I said no and turned away from him, and he was still all over me," 65-year-old Billie Richert told FOX 13 News shortly after the attack.
65-year-old Billie Richert
On Wednesday, Andrew talked about why he went after the attacker.
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"It’s just the right thing to do," he said. "I mean that could be someone's mom, someone's aunt. Like if that was my mom, and someone did that to my mom, and he got away, that's just like, that's terrible."
15-year-old Andrew Papp
Richert wasn’t injured and was in Virginia with family for Christmas when she learned that she was saved by a 15-year-old boy along with a man who came running moments after Andrew intervened.
School officials arranged a FaceTime meeting on Wednesday so that Richert could thank Andrew.
"I want to thank you for helping me when I needed help. Your mama raised a good boy," said Richert.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you," said Richert’s granddaughters as they made Christmas cookies, something they might not have had the chance to do had Andrew not come to her rescue.
Robert Moore mugshot courtesy of the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.
Robert Moore, 42, was arrested in connection with the incident and charged with robbery by sudden snatching, battery on a victim over 65 and battery.