Minutes before his face was captured on video, police say he tried to steal a truck on the 500 block of Kathmere Road.
A grieving 68-year-old man noticed someone trying to get into his son-in-law's truck, which was parked in the driveway.
"It was 2:30 a.m. in the morning on July 18. His wife had died an hour previous to that. She was in hospice care. He was upset and concerned, and his whole family showed up," said Havertown Police Chief John Viola.
Police say the man then ran outside to the driveway, and the suspect threw him to the ground.
"It's very disturbing. You're going through an incredibly traumatic part of your life, your wife died, and you want to be with your family and grieve. Then you have to put up with this on top of what you are already going through," Viola says.
Police say the suspect was seen a half hour later, a few streets away on the 400 block of Earlington Road and Brentwood Road.
Residents tell us this neighborhood is typically very quiet.
"We think of this as a safe community and I don't think anyone seems to worry about this stuff on a regular basis," said Havertown resident Craig Waxman.
"Back in the day, things were different. You could leave your windows down, walk away, nobody bothers your car. Times are different, you've just got to lock everything up," said Michael Ravenel in Havertown.
While police continue to search for the suspect, they are urging people to lock their vehicles. They say the number of car thefts is up across the region.
"We're finding that people are leaving their key fobs in their cars at nighttime, leaving their cars unlocked. When you look at the newer cars now, when you lock the car, the mirrors retract. If they see the mirrors open, the first thing they do is try the car door and there's the key fob, and they drive away," said Viola.
If you see someone engaging in criminal activity, while you may be tempted to go after them, police say to leave it to the professionals and call 911.