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Woman Drives her Sleeping Assailant to Police Station

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You don’t always have to outmuscle a assailant to beat him at his game. This is what a New Zealand woman learned after Vipul Romik Sharma abducted her. At first, things seemed fine; she exited a bar in Otahuhu with the 22-year-old and another man. Then they kidnapped and raped her.

Sharma then told her he was going to drive her home. The car began weaving due to Sharma’s sleepiness. The woman told him he was going to kill her first with his driving, and amazingly, Sharma gave control of the car to her.

At first, she intended on driving straight to her home with Sharma as a passenger. This occurred very early in the morning, and she figured that upon entering her driveway and tooting the horn, her roommate—a “big Islander guy”—would come out and take care of Sharma. But she realized he would have already departed for work.

That’s when she decided to drive straight to the Auckland Central police station—with Sharma snoozing and unaware.

But then the slime awakened, realizing where he was and repeatedly said “I’m sorry.” Too late, Tough Guy—you did the crime, you do the time. The woman told him: “You will be sorry; just wait.” Officers quickly placed Sharma on the ground.

During court, he claimed that the victim consented to the sex. This all happened in 2006, reported in the New Zealand Herald online, and Sharma was found guilty. As for the second man, he too was convicted.

Well, is there anything the woman should have done differently? It depends on what point of time in this chain of events. Certainly, she did everything right when Sharma began driving erratically. But what was she doing exiting a bar late at night with two men she didn’t know in the first place?

This is dangerous because once you’re outside late at night, it’s not difficult for a man to whisk an unwilling woman away into a vehicle and drive off with her, no witnesses. Think before you decide the best thing you can do for yourself at 1 a.m. is exit a bar with a man you just met.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to BestHomeSecurityCompanys.com discussing burglar proofing your home on Fox Boston. Disclosures.

Police Offer Home Security Tips

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Wichita Kansas, an estimated population of 366,046 makes it the 51st largest city in the country and the most populous city in Kansas. It’s a city by anyone’s definition.

And like all cities, it has had its share of successes and bad apples. Including Dennis Lynn Rader (born March 9, 1945) is an American serial killer who murdered ten people in Sedgwick County (in and around Wichita, Kansas), between 1974 and 1991.

He was known as the BTK killer which stands for “bind, torture and kill” and describes his modus operandi. He sent letters describing the details of the killings to police and to local news outlets during the period of time in which the murders took place. After a long hiatus in the 1990s, Rader resumed sending letters in 2004, leading to his 2005 arrest and subsequent conviction. Fortunately he is behind bars serving 10 life sentences. But that doesn’t mean crime doesn’t continue in his absence.

Recently Police launched new efforts to help curb burglaries.  Local police say residential burglaries increased last year by 9% even as overall burglary numbers dropped 1.5%.

Police are reminding people that they need to practice safe techniques to make sure homes and belongings are secure.  That includes making sure doors and windows are locked and not leaving your garage door open.

You’d think a metropolitan city that has had a killer as bad as Dennis Rader would lock their doors. But the societal and cultural phenomenon known as “It can’t happen to me” is everywhere and people forget that a serial killer used to walk their streets. But not you Dear Reader. The fact you’re reading this you know there very well could be another Dennis Rader there right now.

Here are home burglary prevention tips direct from the police who once dealt with Dennis Rader:

Residential burglars work mostly during the day and when a residence is more likely to be unoccupied. Most burglars work alone and tend to probe a neighborhood looking for the right residence and the right opportunity. Home alarm signs and decals, bars on windows, strong locks and doors, big dogs, and alert neighbors can sometimes deter burglars. Also, burglars will avoid a confrontation and will usually flee when approached. Most burglaries do not result in violence unless the criminal is cornered and uses force to escape.

· Keep all doors locked at night and every time you leave your home.

· Use doors that feature wide-angle peepholes at heights everyone can use.

· If you have glass panels near or in doors, make sure glass is reinforced so they cannot be shattered.

· Make sure the door leading from the attached garage to the house is solid wood or metal-clad and protected with a quality keyed door lock and deadbolt.

· Lock the overhead garage door – do not just rely on an automatic door opener.

· Make sure sliding glass doors have strong, working key locks.

· Keep grills, lawnmowers and other valuables in a locked garage or shed.

· Inscribe valuable items, such as televisions, stereos and computers with an identifying number approved by your local police.

· Have an up-to-date home inventory that includes pictures. Keep a complete copy somewhere outside of the house.

· Never leave a message on your answering machine that indicates you may be away from home.

· Trim all shrubbery that could conceal criminal activity near doors and windows.

· Consider using timed interior lights and outdoor timed or motion lights to make your home appear occupied when you are away.

· If you park your car outside, never leave a garage door opener inside your vehicle.

Robert Siciliano personal security expert to Home Security Source discussing Home Security on NBC Boston. Disclosures.