A man who tried to rob a group of, what he thought were, helpless women and their children learned a fatal lesson about not judging a book by its cover.

A would-be thief, identified as Elivelton Neves Moreira, 21, approached a group of women who had just gotten their children from school in the Jardim dos Ipês neighborhood in Suzano, Brazil on Saturday and pulled a gun on them in an attempt to rob them, Brazilian daily newspaper Folha de S.Paulo reported, according to Snopes.

What he did not expect was that an off duty military police woman, Katia del Silva Sastre, 42, was there with her seven year old daughter and when Moreira pulled out his gun Sastre pulled out hers and fired shots to the assailant’s chest and leg.

Moreira immediately fell to the pavement and clutched his chest. The officer kicked him onto his front as she commandeered his firearm and held him at gunpoint. The assailant was rushed to the hospital where he succumbed to his injuries and died.

Sastre’s husband, Lieutenant Andre Alves, told reporters that the suspect did manage to fire one shot but he did not say if the man hit anything.

“The first shot richoted off something. On his second attempt to fire, his weapon jammed. Thankfully [Katia] was faster than he was, because when a thug discovers he’s being confronted by a police officer, he shoots to kill,” he said.

Alves said that his wife has been a member of the police force for 20 years. “In our profession we must always be alert. I was recently shot in the arm while on duty,” he said. “She is calm, knowing that she acted correctly. Everything ended fine. It would have been a greater risk if the suspect had found out she was a cop first.”

The area where the attack took place is a haven for crime, including street robberies, according to The United States Department Of State Bureau Of Diplomatic Security.

Crime continues to be the principal threat to visitors to São Paulo; armed street robberies are common. Current statistics indicate that crime has not decreased since the last presidential elections in 2014. In fact, crime levels remain high and continue to rise in many areas in the state of São Paulo. Crimes and related violence can be attributed to street gangs and organized crime groups throughout the state. São Paulo continues to experience violent crimes (murder, rape, kidnappings, armed assaults, burglaries).

In São Paulo, robbery, assault, burglary, and theft are concerns for foreigners and Brazilians alike. Criminals are determined and sophisticated. All neighborhoods in the city of São Paulo are susceptible to crime. There are daily reports of armed robberies that occur regularly in the affluent residential sections of Jardims, Morumbi, Campo Belo, and Moema, where government and business leaders and a majority of the U.S. Consulate employees reside. Public transportation hubs, hotel sectors, and tourist areas have the highest crime rates. Laptop computers are the number-one target of thieves and criminals in São Paulo. Travelers should seek to use alternative and more concealable means of transporting information (thumb drives, CD/DVD ROMs). If laptops are brought to São Paulo, they should be stored discretely in luggage and/or placed in the trunk of a vehicle. Comprehensive crime statistics are published by the Secretary of Public Security.

Street crime is a problem, especially in the evenings and late at night. Caution is required when travelling at night through rural areas and satellite cities due to the significant potential for roadside robberies. Motorcycle-borne robberies are prevalent throughout São Paulo. In such instances, one to two criminals on motorcycle identify an isolated victim, pull alongside his/her, present a firearm, and steal belongings (cellphone), and evade the area.