NASCAR Nationwide Series driver Morgan Shepherd helped nab a suspected shoplifter Monday night at the Wal-Mart near Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

The 69-year-old veteran was walking from his car to the store entrance when three men ran out the front door with security officers in tow.

One of the officers tossed Shepherd a pair of handcuffs as he joined the pursuit.

"I just got out and took off after them," said Shepherd. "I caught one of them just as they were getting ready to hop a little wall at the end of the parking lot. I yanked him down and got on top of him."

Shepherd is an avid jogger and can be seen roller skating at many of the NASCAR tracks where he races.

"I cuffed him and sat on top of him," Shepherd said. "The police department officers showed up and asked if I could hold him a while longer while they ran down the others. I told them he wasn't going anywhere."

The young man asked Shepherd to let him go then listened as Shepherd lectured him about his actions.

"I didn't tell him a 69-year-old man chased him down," Shepherd joked. "He was probably 18 or 19. I told him he shouldn't be stealing stuff. There is just too much of this stuff going on.

"So many people these days would just sit and watch those guys run away," explained Shepherd. "People need to get up and help stop this type of stuff."

The Las Vegas Police Department have the three suspects in custody. No word on what they are being charged with.

Shepherd and his wife Cindy successfully completed their shopping trip after the incident.

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