Be careful!

Hey blog readers -

I wanted to share an e-mail I received from a friend. No matter where you are, the economy sucks and people get desperate, so be careful! The e-mail is long, but worth reading.

"I know some of you have heard already...and whether you have or not, I
feel that it is very important that I pass along this story to you in
hopes that you pass it along to everyone else that you know. Something
terrible happened to my friend and I the other night and I want to spread
the word so that the same thing doesn't happen to anyone else.
I know that you hear stories about things like this often, and think that
it would never happen to you - I certaintly didn't expect this to happen
to me, but I'm telling you from first hand experience, it was the most
terrifying thing that I have ever experienced in my entire life.

On Wednesday, November 5, 2008 my friend Erin and I went out for the
evening in the Lincoln Park area (Chicago). After going to the bars we
went to get something to eat with a few other people, not far from my
apartment. Erin and I left the restaurant to walk home - around 1:00 am
- we didn't think it was necessary to take a cab - the weather was really
nice and we were only a few short blocks from my apartment. Our friends
offered to walk with us, but again, not thinking it necessary because I
have done that walk a million times.

We are walking and talking, now only about a block and a half from my
place, we are right next to the church I attend in a really nice
neighborhood with huge expensive houses. (What I'm trying to show is that
this can happen ANYWHERE) The next thing I know, Erin is grabbed from
behind and a guy appears in front of me - inches from my face - and grabs
me by the arms holding my shoulders and arms against my sides. It all
happened in a split second, out of no where. There were
5 guys that surrounded us, they must have been hiding in between parked
cars and bushes next to the sidewalk. Somehow I manage to break free from
the guy's grip but he grabs me and pulls my arms behind me.
Again somehow I break free, lose my shoes and start running. He is chasing
after me. I briefly look behind me and see Erin on the ground with 4 of
the guys holding her down. She is screaming for me and struggling. The
hardest thing I ever did was to keep running. I didn't even have time to
think, but my body's initial reaction was just to RUN, RUN FOR HELP NOW. I
knew that if I stayed to help her it was going to do no good....2 girls
and 5 guys are terrible odds. I felt so guilty leaving her, but I had to
get help. So I ran faster than I ever have in my entire life. I remembered
that there was a hostel right around the corner. I ran into the hostel and
as I'm screaming and crying tell the guys working we had just been
attacked. 2 of them run to get Erin and 1 stayed with me while I called
911. Within a minute the the police and ambulance showed up. I was
escorted back to the scene a few minutes later - still terrified and in
shock of what had happened...and so terrified to see Erin. As I approached
I could see blood all over the sidewalk. Inside the ambulance, Erin is
covered in blood. In the stuggle, her body is scratched and scraped and
bruised, and her hair is soaked with blood. Her head was hit against the
sidewalk.

We spent the entirety of the rest of that night and morning in the
emergency room. I only had gashed my foot open from running, but Erin
sustained a decent sized gash and had to get 5 staples in her head. We
both had to get tetanus shots as well. Luckily, physically we were ok for
the most part, but the emotional trauma from that experience is one far
greater than I can explain. We are both still absolutely terrified and
traumatized from what has happened. You feel so violated and helpless. I
am terrified to walk anywhere anymore, even in daylight. I shouldn't have
to feel that way in my own neighborhood.

The next day we went back to the scene to try to put the pieces together.
You can still see blood on the sidewalk. We were able to find a few of
Erin's bracelets and her headband, but nothing else. I also noticed the
Priest from my church and another woman outside the church talking. I went
to tell them the story so that they could inform the neighborhood. They
mentioned to me that lately ours and other surrounding neighborhoods have
been targeted. There was a woman in the neighborhood who was pulling in to
her garage, at NOON - daylight! she had her 2 little children in the car,
and as she pulled into her garage and the garage door was closing, 3 men
rolled underneath the door and were shut into the garage with her and her
children. They robbed her at gun point. This happened at noon, broad
daylight, in Lincoln Park. The last thing anyone would expect. PLEASE
PLEASE PROTECT YOURSELVES.

The men who attacked us were 5 hispanics in their mid to late 20's.
They got away with Erin's purse, which incidentally only had a few credit
cards and only $20 cash. I'd like to think that they were only out looking
to rob somebody, but who knows what could have happened had we not been
able to get help, or if they had weapons, or God forbid, had we been alone
and not together. There are so many "what if''s" that I don't want to
think about....but what I do know is that we are extremely, extremely
lucky that something worse didn't happen to us. I find it ironic that this
happened in front of my church....I really think God was watching out for
us and that is why something worse didn't happen. We were taught a very
valuable lesson.

I wanted to tell everyone what happened to me because I would never want
this same thing to happen to anyone else. I think I just got a little too
comfortable with my surroundings and gained this false sense of security
that "It won't happen to me," "It won't happen in this neighborhood," etc.
etc. etc.

What I think attracted the guys to us is that Erin was carrying a large
purse. I don't even know if they saw my purse because it was a small,
black hand clutch, but Erin had a large light colored shoulder bag. This
may have made us easy targets. Girls please think about then when going
out at night.

For girls and guys both you never know. Crazy people do crazy things, and
especially as this economy is so bad right now....people are getting
desperate and will do terrible, cowardly things to get money or whatever
it is they need. Protect yourself and your friends.


NEVER WALK ALONE. Never walk at night - I'm telling you...the $7 cab ride
is worth it.

Please pass this message along to everyone you know.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.....I hope it was an eye
opener, cause it certainly flipped my life around and the decisions I will
make in the future."

Now, I relayed this story to one of my friends who lives in Lakeview, and he told me that someone attempted to mug him in his garage. I heard another story of someone being beaten up in Buena Park.

So anyway, be careful out there - take cabs and make sure you're with friends when you walk somewhere.

Thanks!