Police trying to track down thieves who swiped $5,000 worth of Super Bowl tickets

ATLANTA (FOX 5 Atlanta) - Super Bowl tickets were the hottest ticket in Atlanta a couple of weeks ago. A couple of football fans found out the hard way just how hot they were. Their tickets were stolen right before their eyes on Super Bowl Sunday.

Patriots fans, Jason and Derek Cuoto made the trip to Atlanta from Massachusetts. A couple of hours before kick off, they were walking on Pryor Street with their tickets on lanyards around their necks. 

"They were walking at Underground Atlanta when a male approached them and snatched their Super Bowl ticket from around their neck," said Atlanta Police Officer Stephanie Brown.

It was a $2,500 ticket, and Jason wasn't going to let the crook get away. Police said he ran down the crook and tackled him. Jason's brother saw what was happening and jumped in to help. In the midst of the brawl that broke out, Derek's ticket was stolen too.  

Two $2,500 tickets were gone in a matter of seconds. Atlanta Police released a surveillance video that captured the incident. They're hoping someone can identify the ticket thieves and will give them a call. 

"If anyone knows who they are, don't hesitate to call the police and let us know," said Officer Brown. 

Police said it was one of the few incidents they responded to, even with tens of thousands of extra people in town for the big game. They attribute that to the heavy police presence during the Super Bowl, including hundreds of officers who came in from other jurisdictions to help keep the peace. 

"We had a lot of officers on the streets patrolling, we were out and we were visible, and that helped reduce a lot of crime in the area," said Officer Brown.