Mike Bonifazi is quick to tell you he likes to avoid "the H-word" as much as possible. But it is hard to do these days because to many, he is a hero.

The recent Kennedy High School graduate had big plans upon graduation. However, risking his life to hunt a sex offender was not one of them.

Still, on June 21, when he strolled out of Costco in Tukwila and heard a woman's screams, Bonifazi did what he insists anyone confronted with the same horror would do.

It all happened so fast. First there were the screams, and then a man jumping out the back door of a woman's car.

Bonifazi's initial thought was that the man must have been a purse snatcher. He was wrong.

In the blink of an eye, the Level 3 Sex Offender-Patrick J. Velez-allegedly had climbed into the back of the woman's vehicle while she returned her shopping cart to the store.

As the woman started to drive off, Velez allegedly attempted to strangle her. When she screamed, he jumped from the car and started to run.

But the assailant was about to have an even larger problem because he did not plan on encountering someone like Bonifazi.

Adrenalin kicked in as Bonifazi screamed for help. His friend Kelsi dialed 9-1-1 and he made a quick check on the victim.

Then he was off, chasing the alleged perpetrator through the parking lot and down the street. His 10-minute run involved zig-zagging through parked cars to keep up with the man, and at one point even kicking one of his feet.

Through the obstacle course, two others joined the pursuit that, at one point, took a drastic turn. Valez allegedly produced a weapon-a huge knife.

As Bonifazi came face to face with Velez, he asked him why he was trying to rob the victim.

He said Velez demanded, "Get away, I have a knife. This isn't your place."

It was a frightening scenario for Bonifazi because only two weeks earlier he had had chest surgery.

But at the Costco gas station, an employee helped and the pursuit ended when the runners formed a half circle around the perpetrator.

Someone had beaten Velez along the way, and there was blood running down his face and visible gashes.

Bonifazi was asked to officially identify Velez by the police.

Speaking of the incident from a Burien Starbucks, Bonifazi remembered, "It was a reaction, not a thought process. I kept thinking of my mom.

"If that were my mom, if anyone tried to do anything to her ... I feel like it was the right thing to do at the time. You see someone in need and you help them."

He admits it is difficult to think of himself as a victim or hero, but in reality Bonifazi is both.

"I'm a victim because I had a knife pulled on me," he noted. Bonifazi has learned that he has the right to press charges against Velez, which he says he will do to the fullest extent of the law.

He will also testify or do whatever is necessary to help the victim he calls "Jeanette."

Bonifazi does not mince words when conveying his feelings toward Velez. "He deserves to be in the lowest cells of prison. With any luck this will be his more than three strikes and he will go away for a long time."

According to court documents, officers found a "rape kit" with handcuffs, a helmet bag to cover the victim's face, a ski mask, gloves and a four-inch blade knife in the back of Velez's car.

Velez reportedly told a therapist in 1988 of a fantasy in which he would watch a girl in a parking lot, hide in the car with a weapon such as a knife, wait until she returned and then rape her.

In 1982, Velez was convicted of raping a waitress whom authorities said he kidnapped and taped her mouth and eyes shut.

Prosecutors plan to charge Velez with first-degree kidnapping and second-degree assault. Because of his violent history, bail has been set at $1 million.

Bonifazi shudders when he realizes the situation could have been much worse. He thinks about the possibility of Jeanette's car window being rolled up and that he would not have heard her screams.

Jeanette had stopped at Costco that day and was on her way to church.

Bonifazi said she offered him all of the money in her purse to express her gratitude. He slyly managed to sneak the money back into her purse. She found it, though, and insisted he take it.

Their bond is strong and he will not forget her. He even speaks of keeping in touch by sending her a Christmas card.

"It was a happy feeling after things worked out," he observed.

In many ways, this was a learning experience for Bonifazi. He now has a new respect for the police. He also saw first hand how people react in the face of danger.

"I saw the best part of society. It was great to see the common decency of people working together. I would like to think that most people would do the same thing as me."

Bonifazi praises the speedy response by Tukwila police and others who assisted in capturing Velez.

The experience also is a reminder that most people do not lock their car doors when returning their shopping carts. It just takes a few seconds to return the cart-and it also takes only a few seconds for a crime of this magnitude to occur.

Bonifazi hopes this experience increases awareness and promotes safety, and especially that it sends the message that people need to check their cars before getting inside.

In a strange way, it is like Bonifazi was prepared for this day. Fortunately, he was in good physical shape. As luck would have it, he started running marathons before he turned 15.

"Luckily, I was a runner. I ride my bike to work as much as I can."

Bonifazi, who works at a Skate-Bike Shop in West Seattle, plans to attend Highline Community College and eventually enroll in the nursing program at the University of Washington.

With a grin, he added, "I'd rather help them in the hospital than run after them when they have a knife."