One woman’s gut instinct can help catch a predator, according to TikToker Justina (@redheadladynerd). What began as a normal walk in the park spiraled into a months-long battle with a system that took far too long to act.
“If you see something, say something, and I’m going to share a story of why that’s important,” Justina started the video. Around February of this year, Justina went to her regular walking spot at a park.
Every time she went, she noticed a car always parked in the same area. When she peered into the car, she would see a man performing inappropriate movements while looking at kids.
Justina didn’t have any real proof of it, but she called the non-emergency number to report the incident. She gave all the information she could and watched as a cop car pulled up 10 minutes later.
She thought the police would take care of the situation, but over the next few weeks, she kept seeing the man doing the same thing.
She continued calling the non-emergency line because she didn’t know what else to do. A cop told her that they were going to follow this guy for a few days to keep an eye on him.
About two months later, Justina went back to the park. The guy was still there doing the same thing. At this point, she was fed up, so she knocked on his window and confronted him about always being parked in front of the playground.
He got very angry and defensive, grabbed a plastic bag filled with incriminating evidence, and zoomed away from her across the park. He stopped right next to her car.
“It was an odd response, and I didn’t feel safe because he was next to my car, and he was pissed, and I’m in Florida, like I don’t know if he was strapped or anything,” said Justina.
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“So, I did what my great aunt always told me to do. If you feel like you’re not safe or you’re in trouble, look for a mother and ask for help. Good moms will always help you.”
Justina looked around and saw a car nearby. She walked up and knocked on the tinted windows. Luckily, the driver was a mother, and she rolled her window down.
Justina explained her situation, and the mom instructed her to get in the car. She made sure that Justina was able to get to her car safely.
When she got home, Justina called the non-emergency line again. After hearing what she had to say, the dispatcher warned her not to approach people like that because of how dangerous they can be.
Recently, Justina went back to the park and saw a car with brand-new plates. It was the same guy! At that point, Justina had already called the cops three times, so she left it alone.
A few weeks ago, she was reading the local news when she spotted this guy in the headlines. Apparently, he had done some inappropriate things to a five-year-old girl.
He had admitted to six months of inappropriate interactions. He lived 20 minutes away from the park.
It’s unfortunate that it took so long for the cops to be able to catch him, but Justina is glad that she reported him multiple times. If she hadn’t, who knows if the police would’ve investigated further?
By Emily Chan
Emily Chan is a writer who covers lifestyle and news content. She graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in... More about Emily Chan
