It’s not always a good idea to do everything on your own, especially with risky plans like this… A group of friends pushed their luck by taking matters in their own hands.
Unfortunately, it didn’t go so well for them…
It all started when a group of teenage girls contacted Robert Dreyfus, a 32-year old man from California.
And they have an important reason for doing that.
The girls wanted to extract proof of Dreyfus engaging in illegal acts with underage girls. They wanted to collect the information and give it to the proper authorities.
But it wasn’t as easy as they expected it to be…
After exchanging messages with Dreyfus, one of the girls met with him.
They thought everything was going according to plan until Dreyfus coerced the girl to get inside his car!
The girl was probably in a state of panic that Dreyfus was able to easily get her in the car and drive away…
It was a good thing that the girl was able to text her friends immediately and warn them about what was happening.
Fortunately, when the authorities stopped Dreyfus’ car, the girl was unharmed. But the police weren’t happy with how the girls conducted their plan.
“This was really dangerous and something that’s best left to professionals in law enforcement,” Jan Ronis, a criminal defense attorney said.
Ronis warns people about the dangers of trying to catch a suspect in the act on their own and tells them that it’s the police’s duty to do these kinds of things. “Normally, law enforcement runs these operations. The solicitation is recorded.
The conversations and meeting places are surveilled. This is a bunch of kids,” Ronis said.
With the girls safe, Dreyfus is now in the hands of local authorities with his bail amounting to $175,000. So if you have any plans on trying to catch a criminal in the act, you might want to think twice first…
According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) there are about 800,000 reported cases of missing children annually. 203,000 of those are said to be kidnapped by family members while 58,200 are abducted by strangers.
But despite this large data, only a few children are considered to be abducted in the “stereotypical manner.”
Out of the 58,200 cases of abduction, only 115 are abducted in what most people consider as the stereotypical kidnapping scenario. 57% of these children are able to go back home safely while 43% don’t make it…
To prevent these abduction cases from rising, it’s important to remember things you should avoid and do to minimize the risk of being abducted.
Some of the tips are obvious, but others made us think twice.
You should be aware of your surroundings.
Don’t be too distracted, criminals strike when you are most vulnerable.
If you are going alone to an unfamiliar place, try to inform a relative or someone close to you where you’re going.
In case something happens, at least they’re aware of the last place you visited.
Whether a stranger is offering you a ride or a piece of candy, don’t accept it. Especially if they randomly offer you something. The food or drink they’ll give you might be laced with drugs that can make your defenses weaker and it’ll be easier for them to drag you away.
Stay calm and reject them even if they keep offering. But in case they don’t stop, here are some things you can do…
Don’t be afraid to make a scene. Let the people around you know that someone is making you feel uncomfortable.
There are people out there willing to help you get out of the situation.
You’re more vulnerable when you are alone. It’s easier for kidnappers to just drag you away and disarm you even if you scream out loud.
It’s better if you make sure that you’re never alone, if you’re going somewhere on your own, try to blend into a crowd of people. But in case it can’t be helped, here’s something you can do…
It doesn’t have to be something dangerous like a knife or a gun. It can be something as simple as pepper spray or scissors.
Pretty much anything sturdy enough to help you defend yourself is okay.
You don’t have to train in Karate, but it won’t hurt to try!
Taking self-defense classes will help you learn how to defend yourself in dangerous situations -- especially if you’re alone all the time.
Whether you’re a minor or an adult, anyone can fall victim to abductions. To avoid this, make sure that you follow these tips!
It’s much better to be safe than sorry.