Home abuse sufferer makes use of hand sign for assist at California 7-Eleven

A easy but highly effective hand sign popularized on TikTok helped a lady escape a home violence incident at a 7-Eleven in Alhambra, police stated.

A bystander referred to as 911 after witnessing a lady within the retailer give the “sign for assist” behind her again, a gesture that entails tucking your thumb into your palm and trapping it with 4 fingers on high. Alhambra law enforcement officials rapidly responded to the decision and located the girl and the suspect contained in the 7-Eleven at 2150 S. Fremont Ave. on Aug. 19.

The suspect, recognized as John Palombi of Glendora, tried to flee the scene after officers requested to talk to him exterior the shop. Lately launched physique digicam video exhibits Palombi, 38, ditching two plastic luggage and a Huge Chunk sizzling canine field earlier than operating away from the officers, who catch him inside a matter of seconds and cargo him right into a police automotive.

It was later decided {that a} home violence incident had occurred and that Palombi had an lively warrant for his arrest in addition to a stun gun in his possession, police stated. He was booked on the Alhambra metropolis jail, and is presently being held with out bail on the Males’s Central Jail in downtown Los Angeles, in keeping with the L.A. County Sheriff’s Division’s inmate info middle.

He’s due in court docket on Sept. 11, however info on the fees filed in opposition to him weren’t instantly out there.

He was arrested thrice final 12 months on suspicion of violating the phrases of his parole.

The sign for assist was created in April 2020 by the Canadian Ladies’s Basis to assist fight the spike in home violence through the isolation of the pandemic.

The group designed the sign to be a well known however discrete manner for a survivor to achieve out for assist over video or in individual. The sign went viral on social media and has been credited for serving to rescue girls from gender-based violence in international locations together with Spain, Syria, Italy and the US.

A lacking 16-year-old woman was rescued in 2021 after utilizing the hand sign from inside a automotive in Kentucky. A person in Tennessee was charged with aggravated kidnapping and aggravated home assault in 2022 after his ex-girlfriend used the hand sign to tip off gasoline station workers that she wanted assist.