It’s truly horrifying what some people will do to hurt vulnerable children and teens. None exemplifies this statement more than a recent news story about 15-year-old Jasmine Block, who disappeared from her Alexandria home on August 8th when she was lured by a family friend into a car and then abducted for a month.
A family acquaintance named Thomas Barker, 32, convinced her to leave her home and get into his car, where two other suspects Joshua Holby, 31, and Steven Powers, 20, were waiting. From there, she was dragged to a rural home by a lake and allegedly physically and sexually abused by the men.
“Barker tied her up with zip ties and then he, his roommate, and friend over the next several weeks assaulted her and threatened her with weapons,” Police Chief Rick Wyffels noted when he discussed the case publicly.
About a month later, she was left alone for the first time when the men left to go get lunch. She knew this was her chance to escape, and she ran out and went to some neighboring homes to get help. Unfortunately, no one seemed to be at home at any of these houses, and she swam across a lake to reach more houses.
Once she got to shore, she reached a farm, where she met a man on the property, who helped contact 911 for her.
“Anybody can call 911, it’s just I was in the right place at the right time,” the anonymous man explained to local news.
While at the farm, one of the suspects further drove past their location, which helped lead to the first of three arrests that would ensue.
The young woman was quickly taken to the hospital and treated for wounds.
“This is an unbelievable young woman,” Wyffels further commented. “She has a lot of strength. We think a lot of her and her family. They’re all amazing people.”
Her father further explained, ““It was like somebody shined a big beam of light on me yesterday for some reason and, I don’t know, I was kind of on a high all day long yesterday.”
The mental and physical anguish the young woman, combined with her resilience and perseverance even in extreme odds makes her a truly powerful woman. The world can be a horrifying place, and it’s terrifying that even family acquaintances can try to prey on kids and teens in their most vulnerable state.
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