This is disturbing.

Today a friend and I went to the park by the river for lunch. I noticed a bunch of flyers posted all over and walked over to read one.

Apparently, on a nearby street, a woman was flagged down by a pedestrian. He abducted her in her car, taking her to the park. I believe it might have been at gun point. He attempted to rape her in the car.

I missed the remaining details, but I do believe she is alive and was not raped — thank goodness! That poor woman!

The ironic thing is, right before I even saw the poster I told my friend that a couple women I know felt unsafe walking alone in this park. (I never had.) Their fears were based on the fact that pedestrians walk on roads, and cars drive slowly through the park. They thought it would be easy to be abducted in some of the more isolated spots. Though this woman was not abducted from this park, it’s stil pretty scary that she was taken there.

Anyway, again I want to point out how important it is to be aware of our surroundings. Pay attention to where you walk and what the people around you are doing. It is best not to wear headphones when walking, but if you do, keep an ear uncovered so you can hear anyone sneaking up behind you.

Also, be careful in your car! This woman was in her car when she was grabbed! My Dad always told me to check the backseat before I got in (I still do) and to drive with the doors locked. (I’ll start doing that again tomorrow!)

The sad thing is, when we are in some of these great parks, we are pretty vulnerable, especially because we feel safe.

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