Popular driver says her assailant "deserves a second chance"
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Jill George just might be one of the busiest women on Earth. She's a wife and mother, licensed chiropractor, a collegiate women's basketball referee, a dirt Late Model driver, and an aspiring and experienced ARCA Series presented by Re/Max / Menards driver.
It was her duties as a basketball official that brought her into harm's way recently. George was scheduled to complete an officiating camp in Denver, Colorado. This year marked her third trip to the camp.
"My flight to Denver was two hours late," said George. "I arrived at the Holiday Inn Select in Denver, CO - which is located in a very nice area of Denver - at 11:15PM to check in. After check-in I was told to park in P-3, which is parking garage 3 - at the top of the structure."
"Hindsight tells me that I should have listened to my red flags. When I pulled up to the hotel to check in there was a young boy - too young to be outside without supervision - who was text messaging and appeared very suspicious."
George believes that the string of suspicious activity that she encountered leading up to the attack was all connected to the misfortune that awaited her - moments away.
"When I drove up to the parking garage there was a car blocking the way," continued George. "I thought the man just took a wide angle where there was barley room for two cars to fit side by side. He backed up and let me through. He pulled forward and I noticed he was talking on the phone. I thought he was just finishing his conversation and then he was pulling out. Actually, he was just blocking the drive so no one could pull up quickly."
While it's not clear whether or not an escape would have been possible at that point, the Iowa driver attempted to make her way on to the safety of her hotel room.
Feeling a little uneasy about her surroundings, George grabbed all of her belongings in one oversized bundle and headed for the elevator. A room in the center of the parking garage housed the single elevator.
"The man who did this was most likely standing right behind the [elevator room] door," commented George.
She pushed the elevator call button once inside, then noticed the flash of what she describes as a "laser light."
"I knew I was trapped," said the former best all-around female Iowa athlete. "That's when he grabbed my overnight bags, keys, and cell phone. He said I wouldn't be needing them anymore. I can't describe that moment in time in words, but I was devastated that I had allowed myself to be so vulnerable."
The driver turned around and saw what she described as an "automatic handgun" in the man's hand - aimed between her eyes.
Her assailant instructed her to lie face-down on the floor, and she complied. He then reportedly used heavy-duty zip-ties to secure George's hands behind her back. The attacker demanded that Jill hand over her cash, and that's when fear subsided and survival instinct took over.
"My money was right there with me," said George, "but I told him it was in my car."
The plan was to lure the man out of the room for just a few seconds to attempt an escape. It wasn't without flaw, but it worked.
With the criminal headed back out onto the parking deck, Jill managed to free herself from her restraints. Doing so inflicted painful injuries to her wrists and hands, but Jill says she was determined to make it home to her family safely. She tried to leave on the open elevator. Unfortunately, her recently-stolen room key was required to travel to another floor.
Jill pressed and held the button that closes the elevator door, laid down in case shots were fired at the elevator, and began to plan her next action. Then, to her surprise, a guest in the lobby requested the elevator. Although without any of her personal belongings, the machine shuttled Jill away to safety.
Meanwhile, the bandit made out with her car and luggage, and has not been identified. None of the stolen items have been recovered.
George was quite shaken-up for a day or so, but has since made a firm decision that she is not going to allow the attack to change her, nor prevent her from traveling in the future. She also expresses mercy towards her attacker.
"I couldn't sleep," she said. "In fact it was very hard to even leave the bed to go to the bathroom that night. Every noise about brought me out of my skin. The next morning the rental company brought me another car. The front desk had to come get me out of my room; I was that scared. It was hard to walk outside. I did go to my camp and worked my first game. Fortunately, I got to tell my story to everyone who would listen. That helped me start to heal."
"I am doing great now," exclaimed George. "I believe in second chances. I believe this young man deserves a second chance - even though he had no right to do what he did to me. He has made me stronger because of it. I am a stronger woman because I had to become one. Being a victim and feeling sorry for myself would be what that man would have wanted. I won't give him that satisfaction."
Now back home with her family, Jill says she will trust herself more in the future.
"I am very aware of my surroundings when I travel, because I do it so often," concluded George. "Being more aware is not what I need to change, but I learned that our greatest instincts are our own 'red flags.'
We must listen to our instincts. Even if we are wrong, we are better safe than sorry."
Jill has returned to the family chiropractic business with husband Rick, and enjoys spending time with son Jackson. While her 2010 racing schedule is mostly consumed by dirt racing, some late-season Late Model and ARCA starts are a possibility.
It was her duties as a basketball official that brought her into harm's way recently. George was scheduled to complete an officiating camp in Denver, Colorado. This year marked her third trip to the camp.
"My flight to Denver was two hours late," said George. "I arrived at the Holiday Inn Select in Denver, CO - which is located in a very nice area of Denver - at 11:15PM to check in. After check-in I was told to park in P-3, which is parking garage 3 - at the top of the structure."
"Hindsight tells me that I should have listened to my red flags. When I pulled up to the hotel to check in there was a young boy - too young to be outside without supervision - who was text messaging and appeared very suspicious."
George believes that the string of suspicious activity that she encountered leading up to the attack was all connected to the misfortune that awaited her - moments away.
"When I drove up to the parking garage there was a car blocking the way," continued George. "I thought the man just took a wide angle where there was barley room for two cars to fit side by side. He backed up and let me through. He pulled forward and I noticed he was talking on the phone. I thought he was just finishing his conversation and then he was pulling out. Actually, he was just blocking the drive so no one could pull up quickly."
While it's not clear whether or not an escape would have been possible at that point, the Iowa driver attempted to make her way on to the safety of her hotel room.
Feeling a little uneasy about her surroundings, George grabbed all of her belongings in one oversized bundle and headed for the elevator. A room in the center of the parking garage housed the single elevator.
"The man who did this was most likely standing right behind the [elevator room] door," commented George.
She pushed the elevator call button once inside, then noticed the flash of what she describes as a "laser light."
"I knew I was trapped," said the former best all-around female Iowa athlete. "That's when he grabbed my overnight bags, keys, and cell phone. He said I wouldn't be needing them anymore. I can't describe that moment in time in words, but I was devastated that I had allowed myself to be so vulnerable."
The driver turned around and saw what she described as an "automatic handgun" in the man's hand - aimed between her eyes.
Her assailant instructed her to lie face-down on the floor, and she complied. He then reportedly used heavy-duty zip-ties to secure George's hands behind her back. The attacker demanded that Jill hand over her cash, and that's when fear subsided and survival instinct took over.
"My money was right there with me," said George, "but I told him it was in my car."
The plan was to lure the man out of the room for just a few seconds to attempt an escape. It wasn't without flaw, but it worked.
With the criminal headed back out onto the parking deck, Jill managed to free herself from her restraints. Doing so inflicted painful injuries to her wrists and hands, but Jill says she was determined to make it home to her family safely. She tried to leave on the open elevator. Unfortunately, her recently-stolen room key was required to travel to another floor.
Jill pressed and held the button that closes the elevator door, laid down in case shots were fired at the elevator, and began to plan her next action. Then, to her surprise, a guest in the lobby requested the elevator. Although without any of her personal belongings, the machine shuttled Jill away to safety.
Meanwhile, the bandit made out with her car and luggage, and has not been identified. None of the stolen items have been recovered.
George was quite shaken-up for a day or so, but has since made a firm decision that she is not going to allow the attack to change her, nor prevent her from traveling in the future. She also expresses mercy towards her attacker.
"I couldn't sleep," she said. "In fact it was very hard to even leave the bed to go to the bathroom that night. Every noise about brought me out of my skin. The next morning the rental company brought me another car. The front desk had to come get me out of my room; I was that scared. It was hard to walk outside. I did go to my camp and worked my first game. Fortunately, I got to tell my story to everyone who would listen. That helped me start to heal."
"I am doing great now," exclaimed George. "I believe in second chances. I believe this young man deserves a second chance - even though he had no right to do what he did to me. He has made me stronger because of it. I am a stronger woman because I had to become one. Being a victim and feeling sorry for myself would be what that man would have wanted. I won't give him that satisfaction."
Now back home with her family, Jill says she will trust herself more in the future.
"I am very aware of my surroundings when I travel, because I do it so often," concluded George. "Being more aware is not what I need to change, but I learned that our greatest instincts are our own 'red flags.'
We must listen to our instincts. Even if we are wrong, we are better safe than sorry."
Jill has returned to the family chiropractic business with husband Rick, and enjoys spending time with son Jackson. While her 2010 racing schedule is mostly consumed by dirt racing, some late-season Late Model and ARCA starts are a possibility.