Are You Safe?

 

I’ve been keeping a secret from you, one that I had never planned to share.  However, it has been nagging at me that I need to share this event with all of you because I do believe my experience may possibly help someone else.  I don’t want anything bad to happen to any of you and I always want you to be safe.  I also want to warn you that this post contains some adult language and content in case you’d rather stop reading now and move along.  I can’t share all of the details because this incident is now making its way through the judicial system and I certainly do not want to do or say anything that would compromise that process. 

Back in March while out and about living my life and minding my own business I encountered a stranger.  The moment I saw this person I instantly knew he was up to no good.  He just had that vibe about him and I found myself on high alert.  He started following me as I was making my way to my intended destination and when he thought the time was right he grabbed me.  I was able to shrug myself away from his grasp, spun around and confronted him in a very aggressive manner.  I was instantly pissed! 

At first he was surprised by my response, but then I could tell he was taking this on as more of a challenge and I think he found it rather amusing.  He continued to follow me.  I made my way into a building I knew was full of people to get some help because I could tell he was relentless in his pursuit of me.  In my mind I was already anticipating he was going to grab me again and in a more forcible way so I was already planning to punch him in the throat, kick, scream, claw, pull his hair, stuff my fingers into his eyes, even chew his balls off with my teeth if it came to that.  What I did know is I wasn’t about to go anywhere where we’d be isolated from people long enough to give him the opportunity to grab me again. 

As I made my way through the building in search of help I tried several evasive maneuvers to shake this guy but he stayed right with me, even walking right beside me at times as if we were a couple.  Unfortunately the security guard I was seeking out had stepped away from his post and I quickly realized I needed to find someone else to help me so I kept moving.  I circled around and the stranger stayed right with me until I spotted someone I knew and I was sure would be able to help.  I walked right up to him and told him “I need your help.  This guy has been trailing me for a while and I can’t get rid of him.”  Even when I said these things this asshole wouldn’t move off.  He stood directly behind me and waited. 

The person I had approached to help me realized immediately that this was a dangerous situation.  He escorted me to a place I could safely wait behind a locked door while he got help.  My helper said that when he walked out of that locked room the guy was still waiting outside for me.  By the time he got back with the security guard the stranger was gone.  My helper made it his personal mission to safely escort me to my final destination making sure this guy was nowhere in sight in the process which I was eternally grateful for.  He also assured me that he would follow up and make sure this incident was properly reported and investigated. 

Fourteen hours later this guy was booked into the county jail for assault and attempted kidnapping of another woman.  Since then I have spoken with police and told them about my encounter with this little bastard.  After review of camera footage they were able to see what had happened with me as well as the guy turning his coat inside out and putting on a hat as he left the building to evade capture.  Obviously this was not his first rodeo, he had definitely done this before.  It has since been confirmed to me by the police that he is a pretty bad dude with a long history of criminal and drug behavior and he was wanted for outstanding warrants on similar offenses.  I also learned that sadly the second victim leading to his arrest was hurt pretty bad.  

You may be wondering, had I put myself at risk?  Could I have avoided this situation altogether?  Is this because I started riding the bus?  Is it because I walk a lot and do things alone.  No.  It was noon, in the middle of a weekday, and I was on a busy street surrounded by a ton of people and traffic.   This guy was bold.  He was on the hunt and assumed I’d be an easy target, possibly due to my age and being a woman out on her own that day.  The police officer told me I did all the right things to keep myself safe and I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, I was very lucky. 

You may be asking why I didn’t call 911.  Well, unfortunately at the time my cell phone was buried in the bottom of my backpack and I was afraid to take it off to try and dig it out because I felt like I needed to keep my hands free and at the ready.  I wanted to make sure I could fight this guy off again if I needed too.  In my mind I thought I may go down, but I sure as hell wasn’t going to make it easy on him. 

You also may be asking, did this mean I had a bad day?  Nope!  This entire situation lasted twenty minutes.  Granted it was a long twenty long minutes, but only twenty minutes nonetheless.  Everything that had happened up to that point was good and everything that happened afterward even more so.  I am eternally grateful to my helper and since this happened we have become friends.  We have talked about the incident many times and he always wants to make sure I'm doing okay.  I had loads of emotional support and several offers to help with anything I needed from my fellow city employees.  One of them sent me the sweetest and most supportive text message later that evening.  I knew I was safe and I was okay.  NO BAD DAYS.  Let me know if you would like me to expand more on how I’m making sure it stays that way.