A woman from Tennessee managed to escape her kidnapper after using a secret signal from TikTok to alert a gas station employee that she was in trouble. The Tennessean reported that the woman, whose identity was not disclosed, from Hickman County, was visiting her brother on Sunday when her ex-boyfriend, Jonathon Smith (31), made her get into his vehicle, and "they got into a physical confrontation," according to Lieutenant Mike Dodd of the Hickman County Sheriff's Office.
The police revealed that while driving on the highway, Smith threatened the victim and refused to let her out. Lieutenant Dodd told the newspaper that he was driving east on Highway 100 when "they got into a physical confrontation" inside the truck. The woman then asked to be let out, but Smith refused her request and "threatened to kill her by grabbing a screwdriver."
Smith began driving recklessly before stopping at a gas station around 1 PM. Both entered the station store, where she thought of a discreet way to inform others about her predicament. Lieutenant Dodd said that the victim extended her palm forward, tucked her thumb inside, and closed her four fingers in front of the cashier, who repeated the gesture, to which the woman nodded.
This signal, similar to a closed fist, has become popular on TikTok and is used to alert others to a need for help during domestic violence situations. A customer, Eric Strival, told WKRN that he also saw the woman enter the store and looked at him while saying the word "help."
The employees contacted the police and tried to delay Smith for a while, but he realized something was wrong and left the gas station with the victim, according to police. While Smith was leaving, a Hickman County deputy entered the gas station, leading to a 15-minute car chase before Smith's truck crashed into a ditch on Bear Valley Road in Dickson County.
WKRN reported that after the crash, Smith fled on foot but was captured. He was charged with aggravated kidnapping and aggravated domestic assault. The woman was uninjured.
