“My parents always taught me… you fight back no matter what,” said 18-year-old Emma Marine, whose terrifying ordeal was caught on surveillance video.
Emma Marine never imagined a routine shift at the local smoke shop would turn into a fight for her life.
The 18-year-old from St. Augustine, Florida, has become a symbol of courage and resilience after she bravely fought off an attempted kidnapping on June 29, 2024. The harrowing moment, caught on surveillance video, shows Emma being dragged from the store where she worked, but her refusal to give up ultimately saved her life.
“He pushed me out of the store, put me in a chokehold, and dragged me out to the truck,”
Emma recalled in her first public interview.
“I just kept fighting back and screaming.”
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The chilling incident began just after noon when 31-year-old Theodore Michael Tundidor entered the 206 Smoke Shop, where Emma was the only employee on duty. He initially asked to use the bathroom before leaving, but he returned roughly 90 minutes later and began stealing nicotine products and other merchandise from behind the counter, totaling more than $200.
“I got in his way so he wouldn’t leave with the product,” Emma said. “That’s when he attacked me.”
Surveillance video shows Tundidor shoving Emma out of the store and dragging her into the parking lot in a chokehold, attempting to force her into his stolen pickup truck. Her desperate screams — “Get off of me!” and “Help!” — echoed through the lot.
Thankfully, a passerby heard them.
“There’s a lady being attacked,”
Witness Kelly Eason told a 911 dispatcher.
“She was screaming at the top of her lungs, and he’s trying to, like, force her into a car.”
Emma didn’t stop fighting.
Her resistance and loud cries for help prompted Tundidor to flee the scene empty-handed.
“I hope this can show other women and young females like myself that you can fight back,” Emma said. “And that it doesn’t matter how small you are.”
Moments later, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers spotted Tundidor driving erratically down State Road A1A. After a short chase, he was taken into custody.
According to the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, Tundidor now faces multiple felony charges, including kidnapping, robbery, and grand theft auto. He also faces DUI and fleeing charges from the FWC.
Court records show Tundidor was already on probation at the time of the attack for an earlier incident in which he caused $38,000 in damage with a hammer during a drunken outburst at his mother’s home in Broward County.
Despite her bravery, Emma says she was let go from her job following the incident. “Pretty upsetting,” she shared.
“Everything was going good up until that incident, and then [my boss] completely stopped talking to either of us.”
She explained that her motivation to intervene came from fears of being penalized.
“He had told us before that we’d be fired or have our pay docked if anything got stolen.”
Physically, Emma walked away with cuts and bruises. But emotionally, she’s still healing — and now undergoing therapy to process the trauma.
Still, she’s grateful for the instincts that kicked in and her parents’ lessons.
“My parents always taught me that whenever you are put in a dangerous situation like that, you fight back no matter what,” she said. “Never be quiet. Always fight back no matter what. Kick, scream — all of it. It will do justice.”
Local law enforcement praised Emma’s quick thinking. The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office said she did “everything right” — including making noise, resisting, and drawing public attention, which likely prevented a much more tragic outcome.
In response, Women Against Violent Encounters (WAVE) offered safety guidance:
- Be aware of your surroundings
- Trust your instincts
- Know your personal “danger zones”
- Create distance when you can
- Mentally prepare for worst-case scenarios
Emma continues her journey toward healing, her message remains clear and empowering: “Fight back. You’re stronger than you think.”
