Employees at a Port St. Lucie Publix provided assistance to a woman Aug. 10 who ran into the store and asked for help claiming she had been kidnapped, according to Port St. Lucie Police.
The workers hid the woman in a back room and called 911, Port St. Lucie Police Chief Leo Niemczyk said Aug. 11. Port St. Lucie Police responded to the Publix at 10400 Village Drive in Tradition after 9:15 a.m. on Sunday.
Here are a few tips and resources to know if you or someone you know is in need of assistance.
What happened with the woman who said she was kidnapped in Port St. Lucie Publix?
A 60-year-old man was arrested as police investigate a sexual battery complaint made by a woman who accused the man of kidnapping her in Davie, Niemczyk said Aug. 11.
Police took Michael Francis Jablonski, of West Palm Beach, into custody Aug. 10 at a Publix in the Tradition community after the woman ran inside and asked an employee for help, Niemczyk said.
Jablonski was arrested shortly after noon on felony charges of resisting an officer with violence and battery on an officer, firefighter, EMT (first responder), an affidavit states.
More details: New details after arrest outside Publix in Tradition; kidnapping, sexual assault
Who can I call if I or someone I know needs help or police?
If you or the other person are in immediate danger, call 911.
Resources you can call or message if you or someone else is in need of help, provided by the Office of Victims of Crime:
National Domestic Violence Hotline
Call: 800-799-7233
Text: START to 88788
Chat: thehotline.org
National Runaway Safeline
Call: 800-RUNAWAY (800-786-2929)
Chat: 1800runaway.org
National Sexual Assault Hotline
Call: 800-656-HOPE (800-656-4673)
Chat: hotline.rainn.org/online
Español: hotline.rainn.org/es
Safe Helpline (sexual assault support for the DoD community)
Call: 877-995-5247
Chat: safehelpline.org
StrongHearts Native Helpline (domestic, dating, and sexual violence support for Native Americans)
Call or Text: 844-7NATIVE (844-762-8483)
Chat: strongheartshelpline.org
National Human Trafficking Hotline
Call: 888-373-7888
Text: 233733
VictimConnect (live anonymous referrals and support for victims of crime)
Call or text: 855-4-VICTIM (855-484-2846)
Chat: victimconnect.org
What is the universal sign for help?
In response to the rise in intimate partner violence during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Canadian Women’s Foundation came up with the universal sign for "help" for people to have a discreet way to signal to healthcare providers that they were in unsafe situations during virtual appointments, according to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
The signal is a single-handed gesture that can be used to alert others when you feel threatened and need help, whether over a video call or in person.
To perform the signal, you hold your hand up with your thumb tucked into your palm, then fold your fingers down, "trapping" your thumb in your fingers.
What to do if a stranger comes up to you asking for help
If you provide shelter to someone asking you to call 911, be sure to let the dispatcher know where the incident is occurring and where to find the victim while waiting for emergency services, according to Henry County law enforcement.
If someone you don't know is knocking on your door asking to call 911 and you feel there could be imminent danger to yourself, you should not allow the person in, but call 911 immediately and let them know what is happening, the law enforcement website warns.
What you should describe on 911 call
Information 911 operators may ask for, according to Seattle.gov, includes:
What is happening?
Where is it happening?
Where are you in relation to what's happening?
What made the person's actions suspicious?
What did the person(s)/vehicle look like?
Did the person say anything? If so, what?
Were any weapons displayed or was there threat of a weapon?
What was the person's last known location and direction of travel?
How to submit tips to Treasure Coast Crime Stoppers
You can make an anonymous crime tip to Treasure Coast Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-273-TIPS (8477) or text your tip to “TIP151 plus information” to 274637.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Port St. Lucie Publix employee aids alleged crime victim. What to know
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