It’s an unfair reality of being a woman: you can never quite be certain that you’re safe.
While men have the privilege of being able to walk alone, for women, the fear of being preyed upon is always lingering at the backs of our minds.
Many of us make sure to be as precautionary as possible when taking a walk alone. We’ll wear brightly colored clothing, let family members know that we’re heading out, and keep our phones on us at all times.
For one lucky woman in Wimauma, Florida, her mobile phone might just have saved her life.
According to deputies in the area, the woman was taking a walk along US 301 in Wimauma early Sunday morning when she was attacked by 22-year-old Sergio Valdez.
The fact that even walking in broad daylight can be unsafe for women is a disappointing reality.
Predators like Valdez don’t care about looking discreet.
According to arrest documents, Valdez attempted to choke the woman and pull her pants off. He told her that she was going to have his baby and tried to forcibly initiate oral sex.
It’s difficult to know what you’d do in that situation if you were the subject of the attack.
Running away might not be an option if you were pinned in place. You might also be too scared if your attacker had threatened you with a weapon.
In this situation, the woman did the only thing she could – a clever iPhone trick that not everyone knows about.
While the attack was taking place, the woman was able to grab hold of her phone. She hit the screen lock button on the side of her iPhone five times, which automatically called 911.
As well as making the call, the woman’s phone provided GPS coordinates to the 911 dispatchers, who were able to hear the struggle through the phone’s speaker. The woman was reportedly crying and begging Valdez to stop.
Deputies were dispatched instantly to respond to the attack.
Before they arrived, the woman was able to escape when a passing vehicle distracted Valdez. When deputies were searching for the victim, they came across none other than Valdez, and arrested him on the spot.
According to the report, Valdez’s mother had spoken to her son, and he had told her that he’d been set up. The victim of the attack is an ex-girlfriend who is, allegedly, embarrassed that he’s now dating someone else.
Regardless of the outcome of this case, one thing is for certain: the iPhone lock screen trick can save lives.
Android phones have a similar feature, too – by pressing down and holding the lock button, you’ll see a red “Emergency” box on the screen, which you can click to call 911 without having to enter a password.
No matter who you are and where you live, it’s worth being aware of how you can use your phone in an emergency situation.
It’s especially important if you’re a woman, with shocking statistics showing that 1 in 6 women are the victims of rape or attempted rape in the US throughout their lifetime.
You can watch the full ABC Action News story about the Florida attack in the video below.
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