Tennessee Realtor attacked
On Wednesday afternoon, a female Realtor in Jackson, Tennessee was called by a man for a home tour. The man claiming to be a plumber showed up alone as did she, and during the tour, he grabbed her, handcuffed her, gagged and hogtied her, then locked her in a closet, according to the Jackson Sun.
The attacker took her purse and her cell phone, but she was able to escape from the closet and get to a nearby home to ask for help. Police were called out to the property and the Realtor victim did not need medical attention.
Neighbors react to the attack
The listing had been for sale for roughly two months and neighbor Pamela Cleere told WWBJ Channel 7 that when she drove by and saw the police, she called the Realtor to report something had happened, only to find out shortly thereafter that it was indeed that listing agent that was at the center of the crime scene.
“It’s an unusual thing to be happening out here, in this neighborhood. You wouldn’t think things like this would happen on this side of town,” Kerry Yarborugh, who lives in the neighborhood told WWBJ.
Suspect arraigned, bond set at $200,000
After a short search, Stephen Davis, 26, who is the only suspect in the case was arrested on charges of aggravated and kidnapping. Davis has been arraigned with bond set at $200,000 by the Jackson City Court.
Realtor safety is paramount
Real estate is one of the few industries where independent people are required to make unexpected visits all over town, usually alone and with no way of truly knowing who they are meeting with in a vacant home.
Sometimes there is no way to avoid an attack, as is likely the case in this attack. While gut instincts should never be ignored and it is better to offend a potential client than be attacked, it is a good idea for Realtors to know self defense methods and when alone to carry their smartphone with safety apps like AGBeat supporter Moby, which tells other contacts where you are and reports when in trouble.
