Sunny afternoons are good times for mothers and women to pack up our children or other essentials and run those errands we all love. The last thing on our minds is facing a potential assault.
We’re thinking of 29 things; where’s his other shoe, what should I cook for dinner, I wish the kids would stop arguing, it sure feels like I’m forgetting something, but not: Oh yes, and remember to watch out for predators.
As the mom was placing her child in the back seat of the car, “He stuck his head up under her skirt or her dress and touched her on the thigh and made an explicit comment,” Officer Curtis Garrett Paris, Texas Police Department, stated concerning the sexual assault on July 18, 2015, around 4:00 p.m. in the 3800 block of Lamar Avenue, in the parking lot of Walmart.
The woman screamed and the suspect fled on foot.
The suspect (surveillance photo pictured) who sexually assaulted the mom on July 18, 2015 is described as a 30 to 40 year old white male with a beard and a ‘barbed wire’ tattoo on his upper right arm. According to police he may be driving a silver or other light colored PT Cruiser.
Crime is most likely to occur when the target is distracted, unaware of surroundings, appears to be an easy victim; easily overtaken and overpowered, one who will not put up any resistance.
While we cannot control the desire, meaning the predator, we can decrease opportunity.
Officer Curtis Garrett advises the following for safety:
1. Always be aware of your surroundings
2. Dress down to not draw attention to yourself (jewelry, clothing, comfortable shoes)
3. Always travel with a companion (if possible)
4. Report to store personnel or security anything or anyone that makes you feel uneasy (trust your instincts)
5. Ask store personnel or security to walk you to your vehicle
6. Park as close as possible to store fronts
7. Park in well-lit areas at night
8. Always lock your car even for the brief time it will take to return the shopping cart
9. Ignore handbills on the windshields
10. Look inside and underneath your vehicle before unlocking or loading the vehicle (a small flashlight comes in handy)
11. Use key fob to unlock your vehicle only when you approach your vehicle
12. Know which button is your alarm button on your key fob so that if anything does happen you can draw attention to the situation
13. Once in your vehicle, lock doors and drive away immediately
14. Resist removing cash from ATM’s in malls and shopping areas
15. Take a self-defense class to gain strength and confidence
If you have any information on the identity of this man or other crimes, please contact Crime Stoppers, 24 hours a day-7 days a week, in one of the following four ways:
1. Phone – (903)785-TIPS (8477)
2. Online – www.lamarcountycrimestoppers.com
3. Text message- send your message to “crimes” (274637) and add “tip120” in front of your message
4. Smart phone – Download our new mobile app, TipSubmit. I-Phone or Android.
If the information that you give leads to the arrest and/or indictment you could be eligible for a cash reward of up to $1000 and you may remain anonymous. Lamar County Crime Stoppers will not pay rewards for information provided through any source other than calls to its program.
Article by Kristi Young for eParisExtra.com