14-Year-Old Defends Herself Against Assault Attempt at Florida Gas Station

In a terrifying encounter at a Florida gas station, a 14-year-old girl showed remarkable courage as she fought off a man attempting to kidnap and assault her. This incident highlights the importance of being aware of our surroundings and trusting our instincts, even in everyday situations like running an errand. Our mission and goal is to emphasize the value of personal safety education and self-defense skills to empower women and girls to protect themselves from predators.

A 14-year-old girl fought off a man accused of trying to kidnap and assault her at a gas station, Florida authorities said. Jerry Cherisme, 33, is now charged with kidnapping, lewd and lascivious behavior on a victim 12 to 16 years of age, battery and child abuse, according to court records and an Oct. 1 news release from the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office.

On Sept. 30, the teen’s grandmother asked her to walk to a BP gas station in Port St. Lucie to buy butter for dinner, deputies wrote in an arrest affidavit. After buying the butter, the girl said hello to someone she knew outside the convenience store when Cherisme came up behind her, bear hugged her and grabbed her wrist, deputies said. Holding onto the girl, Cherisme tried to drag her behind the convenience store as she was “screaming and begging” repeatedly for him to let her go, but he ignored her, according to court records. Eventually, she wrenched herself free and ran back into the gas station, where she reported that a man had tried to kidnap and sexually assault her, St. Lucie County Sheriff Keith Pearson told WESH.

The cashier told deputies she saw the girl outside trying to hit the man with the butter during the incident, then later the teen ran back inside crying, and the cashier gave her a phone to call for help, according to the affidavit. The girl left and came back with her father and grandmother, witnesses told deputies, according to the affidavit.

Cherisme fled, but deputies found him in a neighborhood nearby and took him into custody, body camera footage shows. “I believe had this young female not gotten away from him, she would have been sexually assaulted by this predator,” Pearson told WESH. Cherisme left the teen with bruising and redness on her wrist and arm, deputies said.

Takeaway: This incident is a powerful reminder that self-defense and quick thinking can make all the difference in dangerous situations. It’s crucial to stay alert, trust your instincts, and know how to respond if faced with a threat. At Protect Her Path, we believe every woman and girl deserves the knowledge and tools to defend themselves and stay safe, wherever life takes them.

source: The Kansas City Star