CAR SECURITY:
Car Safety Tips
AMBUSHES

Car security means learning parking lot safety and driving safety tips to avoid ambushes that lead to robbery, carjacking, rape, and murder.

Phony Good Samaritan: Returning to her parked car, a woman found it with a flat tire. As she began replacing it with a spare, a Good Samaritan passerby insisted on helping. The Good Samaritan used the tire-iron to knock the woman unconscious and steal her wallet and car. Guess who had deflated the tire and waited for her?

The Interstate 65 serial rapist is still on the loose. Four women were raped by a man who pulled them over by signaling that something was wrong with their vehicle, then offering to give them a ride to get help. The man pulled over three other women but they declined his offer of a ride and were not harmed. They all described him as being very polite.
Excerpted from The Tennessean – 11 July 2000

Instead, drive to a service station to check your car.

At an interstate rest stop, a man told a woman something was leaking from her car, then forced her into the back of the vehicle and raped her.
Excerpted from WLKY-TV32 Louisville – 25 June 2004

Cal Brown got Holly Washa to pull over by implying something was wrong with her car. He robbed her and took her to a nearby motel, where prosecutors say he tied her up, tortured and sexually assaulted her repeatedly, then murdered her.
Excerpted from The Seattle Post-Intelligencer – 04 June 2007

See Survival Options - Kidnapping and Survival Options - Kidnap Survival.

Phony-Victim-Needing-Help: A woman stopped her car at a stop sign when a young man staggered in front of her car and seemed to fall unconscious. She got out to help and he robbed her.

A man stopped at a stop sign and a desperate young woman ran up begging for help because “someone was chasing her.” When he used the automatic control to unlock the passenger door for her, his own door was yanked open by her hidden male partner. Together, they mugged and carjacked him.

The Good Samaritan was parking outside a store when James Walton flagged him down seeking help. He agreed to help him jump-start his disabled car and give him a ride to where he said his car had broken down. A few blocks away, the Good Samaritan realized it had just been a ruse to get him alone in a more secluded area. James Walton repeatedly punched the Good Samaritan in the face before fleeing in his Honda Civic. “I didn't realize there were people like James Walton in the world,” he said. “I have learned not to be as trusting of strangers. I had never questioned helping people in the past, and I am upset that I have to worry about this in the future. I felt threatened for my life and am still traumatized.”
Excerpted from The Chicago Daily Herald – 30 March 2007

Joanne Lees and Peter Falconio were attacked on a remote highway in the Australian Outback. They were flagged down by a man who claimed his car had broken down. Mr Falconio was shot, while Ms Lees was tied up. She managed to escape and hid in the bush for five hours while her attacker searched for her.
Excerpted from The Belfast Telegraph (UK) – 27 March 2006

Bump-and-Rob: a car bumps yours in order to get you to pull over to "file an accident report." One early tip-off of a crime-in-progress is if his car is trying to barricade yours from leaving. ... If you’re not sure, open your window no more than a quarter-inch to give him a paper with your name and car's license plate number – only. Do not hand him any of your paperwork. Do not open your door no matter what. ... Or, better for car security, simply signal him to follow you, then turn on your flashing hazard lights and drive slowly to an active public area where you can phone the police.

Force-Over: If a Bump-and-Rob doesn’t work, the more brazen robbers may grow frustrated and simply force your car off the road. “Drive to Survive” author Curt Rich advises for car security that if you must jump a curb, do so at an angle. Or quickly back up to escape. Otherwise, simply get all your passengers out and give up your car and money.

BABY CARRIAGE USED IN ROBBERY PLOY
Police say a driver slammed on the brakes to avoid hitting a baby carriage that rolled directly in front of him and struck the carriage with the front of his vehicle. ... When the driver got out to check the carriage (no baby was inside), a woman walked across the road without saying anything and walked away with the carriage. The victim then felt what he assumed to be a firearm pressed into his back and was ordered to hand over his wallet.
Excerpted from WHTM ABC27-TV Harrisburg PA – 05 January 2009

Blockade: Any obstacle (whether trashcan, vehicle, baby carriage, or “pedestrian”) blocking your path allows criminals to trap you. A baby carriage is especially devious to shock and draw you out of your car. If at all possible to control your shock, stay in your car while calling police on your cell phone. And keep scanning your surroundings for suspicious activity before even thinking of getting out of your car to render aid.

If it’s a trashcan or vehicle blockade, again, for car security, jump a curb or back up to escape. If two cars block you from front and rear (and suspicious activity begins), ram back and forth until you can escape. Otherwise, simply get all your passengers out and give up your car and money.

Eggs-on-Windshield: If eggs are smashed on your windshield while you're driving, do NOT operate the wiper or wiper/spray. The wiper will only make the mess worse by smearing it; the wiper/spray will mix water and egg into a milky goo that fully blocks your vision. Then you're forced to stop and become a victim of robbers. Instead, just drive away. If you need to, stick your head out the window to see ahead until you get to a gas station to clean your windshield.

If Your Car is Fire-Bombed:

Your car is fire-bombed. Your first reaction should be to get out, right? Wrong, retired San Diego police SWAT instructor and "Strong on Defense" author Sanford Strong says. The first reaction for car security should be to step on the gas and drive until the flames are out - advice that once saved his life.
Excerpted from The Jackson Citizen-Patriot (MI) – 16 April 2007

Getting In or Out of Your Car: while going to or from your car, for car security, hold pepper spray and a personal security alarm (a.k.a. noisemaker or screamer) at the ready (or, since you already have your car-keys in hand, keep your thumb on your car horn’s emergency button remote-control pocket fob).

Garage Sneak-In:

The two men followed a doctor and his family into their garage, put guns to their heads and robbed them.
Excerpted from The Fort Worth Star-Telegram – 14 October 2004

See Shielding Your Garage From Sneak-Ins in Security Products - Garage.

Hitchhikers:

Dr. Samuel Peebles and his wife picked up hitchhiker Scott Eizember on a cold, rainy afternoon. Eizember pulled a handgun, pistol whipped them and drove off in their van. He'd already carjacked and murdered another couple earlier.
Excerpted from The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette – 07 December 2005

For car security, do not pick up any hitchhiker - and remember that 13 percent of armed robbers are female.

Phony-Cop:

Two men in a car with municipal plates and flashing lights went on a crime spree, stopping five cars by impersonating police officers. They stole $300 from one couple, pulled over and robbed a man and carjacked another man's sport-utility vehicle. In another robbery attempt, they killed a 22-year-old man as he walked past the car they pulled over.
Excerpted from The Chicago Tribune – 10 September 2001

She was pulled over by what she thought was a lawman with a flashing blue light on the dashboard. “I was getting my driver’s license and registration from my purse,” she said, and turned to see a man wearing a ski mask pointing a handgun at her. Blindfolded, she was raped.
Excerpted from The Arkansas Leader – 20 September 2006

Rarely will a real plain-clothes police officer in a plain, unmarked car ever stop an ordinary driver. Yet roughly 25,000 people each year are victimized by false police cars (a plain car with only a flashing light and perhaps a siren).

Kentucky State Police Officer Bruce Mandelblit wrote in NewsMax.com, "If an unmarked police car signals you to pull over, especially at night, and you’re not sure the person is a law enforcement officer, for car security, put on your four-way hazard flashers and dome light, and slowly drive to the closest well-lit public area.” Also call 911 on your cell phone to officially register your fears as well as find out if the cop is legitimate.

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