KSL 5 Investigates: Danger in public places

SALT LAKE CITY -- One in three Utah women will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime. One in eight will be raped. The statistics from the Utah Department of Health highlight a big problem in the state -- sexual assault.

Assaults can happen at any time, in any place -- even in public. That's an important point to remember. A KSL 5 News investigation reveals what can happen when you're not paying attention and how you can protect yourself before an attack occurs.

Even though the following examples of women being stalked, peeped on and raped happened at the Gateway Mall in downtown Salt Lake City, these types of attacks can happen anywhere.

Unsuspecting Victims

"Restrooms. I've never realized how dangerous they can really be," says Rebekah Pullara.

Last November, Pullara was at the Gateway Mall for a job interview. Before the interview began, she went to use one of the public restrooms. While she was in the stall, she suddenly noticed something that took a moment to comprehend: a man's hand underneath the stall, holding a camera.

"I looked down and towards the very back of my stall is a -- I believe it was a Blackberry -- camera-side up," says Pullara. "I just ran out of the stall, screaming for my husband like a hyena."

Pullara's husband, waiting nearby, ran to her side just as a large man exited the bathroom. He took off running. Pullara's husband chased him, but the man got away. Still, Pullara says she feels lucky it wasn't worse.

"To me, this was horrible but I'm lucky because I wasn't hurt," she says. "I feel like somebody who does something like this is preying upon people who are unaware, which I think is dangerous."

Danger struck a different woman in March of 2008. She walked into another Gateway restroom. A man followed her in. According to the report from the Salt Lake City Police Department, the victim told officers the man "pushed a knife that was about 26 inches long from tip to handle toward her." She said he told her to take her shirt off, and if she screamed, he said he would kill her.

The woman told police when she tried to run the man grabbed her by the ankle, pulled her back and raped her. She also told officers she thought she was pregnant at the time of the attack.

The case is listed as inactive. Police never caught the rapist.

Leila Mojabi works at a store located at the Gateway Mall. She has never been attacked, but she often feels uneasy.

"We've just had stalkers come into our store," she says. "Creepy guys or girls that will just come in and stand in our store and stare."

Mojabi says she believes security does its best to keep those "creepy" people at bay, but she says there's only so much it can do. She and her co-workers now rely on each other to stay safe. They take precautions after work -- leaving the store together and walking each other to their cars.

Your best defense

Salt Lake City police Det. Dennis McGowan says everyone should take those same precautions and that your best defense comes from you.

"You know, victims just need to be alert," he says. "Keep their head on a swivel."

Ken Bourne, a 21-year veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department and now a private investigator with Mountain View Investigations in Utah, agrees.

"It's not to be paranoid," he says. "It's just a lifestyle choice to be a non-victim as opposed to a victim or a victim-survivor."

Bourne agreed to walk through the Gateway Mall with KSL and point out areas where people could be at risk there or in any public place. For example, public places like a parking garage.

Mojabi says, "It's a little scary at night to walk in there because you don't know who's hiding behind what car." An attacker hiding in a dark corner? Bourne says that's easy to detect. Attach an LED light or flashlight to your keychain and shine it on and around your car as you walk up.

He says, "That may be enough to startle the guy."

If you're walking alone down an isolated hallway, Bourne says you should always glance into alcoves and other areas where someone could hide. He says if you don't you "could be jumped from behind."

Another woman who was shopping alone waited until she saw those women walk into the bathroom so she wouldn't be by herself. By the time she left though, she was alone.

"Yes, it's very scary. I wish they had a different setup," she said.

Most importantly, Bourne says listen to your instincts.

"If you've made yourself a less-likely victim," he says, "then more than likely you won't be a victim."

Bourne says that comes from being proactive -- not paranoid.

"Just being aware of your surroundings -- where you're going to go, where you're going to be, time of day, time of night, crowd conditions. Thinking ahead as to what would make me more safe. What would make me more vulnerable," he says.

If an attack does happen, people often assume security cameras are recording, capturing the criminal's every move -- even their identity. Bourne says that's a misconception, that you can't rely on cameras to protect you.

"It's not superhuman," he says. "It's not going to fly down from its perch and rescue you,"

Salt Lake City police agree. McGowan says if security footage is available detectives will try to match the suspect in the video to someone in their database. If they can't, the video simply becomes another piece of evidence. Both he and Bourne say your best protection comes from you.

KSL made repeated requests for an on-camera interview with Gateway officials regarding the mall's security procedures. They declined but sent a statement saying:

"Security reports are confidential. However, our primary concern is always for the well-being of our shoppers and our shopping center employees. The Gateway provides 24-hour security and is committed to providing a safe and enjoyable environment for our community."

Later, KSL did speak to John Becker, a representative of the Gateway Mall. Becker said that mall officials challenge the allegation that the rape in the Gateway Office Building bathroom took place. In addition, Becker said, "Security is a very high. Every effort is made to ensure there is a safe environment."

"Overall, Gateway is safe," Becker said.

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Story written by Lori Prichard and Linda Williams.

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