Attempted Rape

[wraymusicman]

This is a true story, we were just informed about it this weekend by my mother-in-law.

My wife's aunt - we'll call her Aunt J - was travelling in central Texas (not sure of an exact date) when her truck broke down about a mile from an exit and gas station. She decided to wait patiently for a state trooper to happen by, locking her doors and staying in the vehicle. A while goes by, and another car stops. The male driver gets out and starts talking to her, offering to help. She at first is very insistant that she'll wait for an officer to come by, but the man persists. Some of his statements included "I've got 5 sisters of my own, I can't just leave you out here." He even retrieved a Bible from his car, and said he was a pastor and she could trust him.

Aunt J eventually decided to accept his offer of help, took her purse and locked the truck, and got in his car. A mile up the road he got off at the right exit, but proceeded away from the gas station and to a secluded area (we were told woods), where he began to tear clothing off and roughing her up to get her to comply. According to my wife, Aunt J "has carried a .38 in her purse as long as I can remember", and during the struggle had the presence of mind to retrieve it.

With a revolver in his face, the man's demeanor changed radically to "Don't shoot me, lady!" Aunt J forced him out of his car, drove it to the gas station, and called the police. The rapist was picked up a short time later, and according to the story we're getting, has been implicated in at least 16 other rapes. Aunt J is obviously shaken up, but physically more or less OK, and will recover. Without that little snub nose .38, things would have had a very different ending, no doubt.

I don't know of the legalities of her carrying (I doubt she has a permit), or her taking the rapists car (theft), and really don't care. Nor, do I expect, do the police, but time will tell. I am convinced that without these actions of self-preservation, there would be one victim of a viloent crime to add to the statistics sheet, and a sexual deviant still roaming around terrorizing our highways.

Mistakes I see here include (1) not knowing who to call for roadside assistance (an assumption on my part) and relying on a trooper stopping, (2) getting in to his car, (3) not pulling the trigger.

Stay safe.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[BigJon10125]

I am glad she is ok and in all honesty that is the most important thing. Hope everything else works out. Keep us posted.



BigJon

[OldVet]

Had I been in her shoes, I think I may have terminated his demeanor. Glad she came out okay (physically at least) and with his history I doubt the LEOs will do more than possibly give her a lecture and a pat on the back.

[oakchas]

Wow, that's incredible, glad she's okay
I'm really glad they caught the guy
and I'll bet she's very happy she had that 38!
Sent from my samsung galaxy, by talking!

[RevolvingMag]

Glad she's safe. Congratulations to her for keeping her cool and drawing on the sorry...scumbag... I strongly agree with you- she should have pulled that trigger. A couple times.

[adric22]

You know, this brings up an interesting point. I have at times passed women on the side of the road with car trouble and thought about stopping to help. But I never do because I'm afraid that they will be frightened of me and especially if something were to go wrong and the police found out I was carrying a gun, who knows how they might twist the story. Yet on the other hand I always drive on by thinking to myself that if I don't stop, somebody who really intends harm might.. but it is a two-edged sword.

I've also tried to put myself in that position. If I'm on the side of the highway and my car has broken down and for some strange reason I don't have my cell with me, or maybe the battery is run down or who knows.. What would I do if somebody stopped and offered me a ride? Sure, at least I'm armed. But maybe I'd be better off just asking if I could borrow their cell phone so I could make a call, but not get in the car with them.

[AZJD1968]

WOW. Im glad she was able to defend herself and is ok.

[Spidey2011]

You know, this brings up an interesting point. I have at times passed women on the side of the road with car trouble and thought about stopping to help. But I never do because I'm afraid that they will be frightened of me and especially if something were to go wrong and the police found out I was carrying a gun, who knows how they might twist the story. Yet on the other hand I always drive on by thinking to myself that if I don't stop, somebody who really intends harm might.. but it is a two-edged sword.

I've also tried to put myself in that position. If I'm on the side of the highway and my car has broken down and for some strange reason I don't have my cell with me, or maybe the battery is run down or who knows.. What would I do if somebody stopped and offered me a ride? Sure, at least I'm armed. But maybe I'd be better off just asking if I could borrow their cell phone so I could make a call, but not get in the car with them.

Nothing wrong with stopping to help a woman. I wouldn't offer any rides to anyone, period, but you can offer your cell, or even drive into the nearest town and get a tow truck sent their way. An able bodied man, however, can deal with his own problems.

OP, I can't help but wonder why she didn't fire. Could there have been something in the back of her mind about the legal ramifications? It might have turned out bad for her if she shot him and she had been carrying illegally. Either way, one less scumbag on the street. Although now the law abiding citizens are paying for his 3 hots and a cot.

[ArkhmAsylm]

Wow. Glad she's physically ok. I have to agree on your assessment of the 'mistakes' made.

[Hot Wing]

Wow glad she is ok

[Pistology]

Nothing wrong with stopping to help a woman. I wouldn't offer any rides to anyone, period, but you can offer your cell, or even drive into the nearest town and get a tow truck sent their way. An able bodied man, however, can deal with his own problems.

OP, I can't help but wonder why she didn't fire. Could there have been something in the back of her mind about the legal ramifications? It might have turned out bad for her if she shot him and she had been carrying illegally. Either way, one less scumbag on the street. Although now the law abiding citizens are paying for his 3 hots and a cot.

INAL, and this is not an endorsement for illegal carry; but self defense doesn't add any legal penalty to illegal carry. Self defense is always justifiable whether by an illegal carry weapon or not.

As for concern of a beautifully-improvised, efficient and morally-defensible escape being twisted into auto theft - not only do I put this in my tactical bag to use some dark day if necessary, but my first thought is that she turned the suspected rapists weapon against him. He's the one violating the law as a highway predator masquerading by use of his car. I guess the cops would confiscate the car as evidence or tool of the crime, anyway.

We need more Aunt J's in this world

[Spidey2011]

INAL, and this is not an endorsement for illegal carry; but self defense doesn't add any legal penalty to illegal carry. Self defense is always justifiable whether by an illegal carry weapon or not.

As for concern of a beautifully-improvised, efficient and morally-defensible escape being twisted into auto theft - not only do I put this in my tactical bag to use some dark day if necessary, but my first thought is that she turned the suspected rapists weapon against him. He's the one violating the law as a highway predator masquerading by use of his car. I guess the cops would confiscate the car as evidence or tool of the crime, anyway.

We need more Aunt J's in this world

I'm aware of that, but the authorities might be more apt to charge her with carrying a concealed weapon if someone had wound up dead. Bodies ALWAYS complicate things.

[bigmacque]

I will always stop to help someone, and at the first sign of concern ask them if they would like my cell phone and drivers license so they can call whoever they might like to, to help them feel at ease and safe.

[Hiram25]

Happy everything turned out ok. Maybe he'll be able to assist someone while he's in jail!

[Guantes]

CCW permit notwithstanding, I think she did well. The presence of mind to use the tool she had, while under attack, may have been beyond some others.