''Parking Lot Predator'' stalking Dayton apartment dwellers

WDTN-TV is reporting that a parking lot predator seems to be stalking people who live in various apartments complexes in the Miami Valley. The seventh known attack came yesterday. According to the news account, the attacker seems to come out of nowhere, running up to frighten his victims and leaves with "stealth skill".

From two WDTN reports:

Tuesday morning at the Lexington Apartments off Riverside in Harrison Township a man getting out of his car was surprised when the gunman appeared, asking for cash. The victim handed it over. The robber ran off. A few moments later he runs into a woman in the same parking lot. He shows her the gun and gets away with her purse.

"He said give me your money then." That's what Eugene Baxter remembers from his run-in with the robber last week. It all started when Baxter pulled up to his Harrison Township apartment. When Baxter didn't have any cash, the suspect forced him up to his apartment. "I opened the door. I always open the door when he has bags from the grocery and the guy came in the house and told me to give him my purse or I'll shoot him," said Karen Lince. "He counted one, two, three and she handed him the purse. So he took off. Before he took off, he snatched all my jewelry off."

"I'm hoping they get this guy before he kills somebody. He's becoming pretty violent," said Tim Allen. Tim has a similar story. But in the Salem Woods Apartment robbery, the robber actually pulled the trigger of his trademark revolver. A maintenance man took a bullet to the leg when the predator walked into the apartment office. He's recovering.

Now officials have a warning for people who might cross paths with the predator. Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department Sgt. Patty Cavender advises, "Cooperate and do as they are asked. Don't try and resist. Do not resist."

Police urge you to be aware of your surroundings. If you see anything suspicious, call Crime Stoppers at 222-STOP.

"Do not resist" is excellent advice for people who are unarmed, but even that isn't guaranteed to protect them. This robber has already shot one defenseless person who was following the "do not resist" advice.

Making awareness of your surroundings a priority is good advice, but why do police stop there? How about have a plan for self-protection and defensive action? How about be prepared to defend yourself?

Calling Crime Stoppers is a joke. You have to get through the dreaded voice mail. By the time the police get there the suspicious person is probably gone. Best chance with a telephone is to call 911 and hope you don't have to wait 15 minutes to get a response, as we have seen in all too many situations.

It is important to note that several of these attacks have been in daylight. This person is bold and very obviously not afraid of his victims. Is he picking victims by doing profiling or just planning on overwhelming by surprise and the force of the gun whoever he picks? Anyone in any apartment complex in the Trotwood or Harrison township area better be on guard and prepared.

For that matter, anyone at any apartment complex should always do the same. Right now, there could be some copycat out there thinking, "Man, this guy is getting money and notoriety, why not me too?"

What is truly proven to be a deterrent to criminals like this are headlines like this:
Teen Dies After Botched Robbery

According to reports sent to OFCC, the following locations are enforcing CHL bans in their tenants' personal living space: