SACRAMENTO (CBS) – A Sacramento woman’s two jet skis were stolen, but instead of giving up, she chased down the thieves and beat them up.

“All I knew was just to get the key out of the ignition so they couldn’t drive away with my property,” said Robin Cardenas.

She fought back and won.

“I’m not a fighter,” said Robin.

But Robin just learned she can fight.

“I just went crazy,” she said.

Robin, who was recently forced into a homeless shelter after losing her job, has been unable to part with a few possessions: her SUV and her two jet skis – gifts from her late parents.

But yesterday, she noticed the jet skis and their trailer were gone.

“I noticed the trail of water on the ground,” she said.

It was a trail of water Robin was sure came from rain water that had pooled on the jet skis.

“So I just followed the water,” she said.

Robin would follow it all the way to a Chevron a half a mile away. There were her skis, attached to another truck with a man and woman inside.

“He was putting air in over there,” she said.

Like anyone, Robin wanted her things back.

“He just immediately just tried to drive off,” she said.

Not so fast.

“I just started kicking and fighting and pulling everything I could out of the car,” she said.

The suspects fought back, but Robin didn’t care. And after a few minutes, the two beaten and bruised suspects would give up.

“Finally he said, ‘OK, OK, OK, we’ll unhook them,’” said Robin.

They detached the jet skis.

“She wouldn’t let them get away,” said store clerk Laura Almanza.

Although Almanza helped by calling 9-1-1, the two got away.

“It’s a joke in the shelter, calling me Robin Balboa. Hahaha,” said Robin.