Three women brutally attacked at North Austin Zumba business

Austin police say the man who is accused of brutally attacking three women on July 22 is in jail thanks to a group of Good Samaritans who chased him down.

It happened at Zum Fitness in the 7600 block of North Lamar Boulevard. Four women and only one escaped without injury.

Police say that on July 22, 24-year-old Eric Torres went into the business and flipped a table.  Officers say he repeatedly punched the owner in the head and pushed her into a metal pole. 

They say Torres then kicked another woman as she attempted to run away. That kick, the woman says, caused her to fall beside her eight-month-old baby who was in a carrier on the floor.

Officers say Torres then punched another woman in the face numerous times causing her to briefly lose consciousness. 

Torres then took two of their purses and ran out of the store. 

One woman was able to alert a group of men in a restaurant next door. Those men chased Torres and flagged down a trooper who was passing by. 

One of the men, Marco Munguia, says he just took action once he heard what happened.

"We caught him in the middle of the road and we took him down. I remember grabbing him from the back and then we started pulling all the handbags away from him,” Munguia says.

“I think it's nice to see people doing that you know. I think we should all try and help. Even though you don't know what's going to happen. He may have a weapon. In the moment you don't think about that. You just try and help somebody," Munguia added. 

Torres was on parole at the time. He was released from prison in April after serving time for evading arrest and cocaine possession. 

FOX 7’s Noelle Newton spoke with the owner of Zum Fitness and will have more on the FOX 7 News Edge at 9.