A New Jersey woman saved herself from a kidnapping attempt by mouthing “help me” to bystanders.
The woman mouthed the words while her potential abductor was forcing her to pull cash out of an ATM, according to an article published Wednesday by People magazine. The bystander then called police who were able to stop the kidnap from happening.
N.J. Woman Saves Herself from Kidnapping by Mouthing ‘Help Me’ at Bystander During Alleged Robbery https://t.co/RfYA59H41k
— People (@people) October 21, 2020
Lt. Robert Bracken claimed an unidentified man approached the couple’s vehicle and told them they were “breaking the law” for being intimate in a public space.
“They were approached by a man unknown to them who identified himself as a police officer,” Bracken told the outlet.
“He said to the victims, ‘Hey, give me a little bit of money and I won’t bring you to jail,'” Bracken said. “With that, he indicated he was armed.” (RELATED: 39 Missing Kids Found In Georgia)
The couple did what the man said and the woman got in the back seat so he could be in the passenger seat. Another man followed them to the bank in a separate car. Once at the bank, the female victim made eye contact with a stranger in the bank parking lot.
“It was at that time that the female victim was able to mouth the words ‘HELP ME,'” police said in a news release obtained by People.
“Fortunately, officers were available and nearby when the call came in and were able to interrupt the crime in progress,” the news release continued.