A Florida woman fought off an attacker at her apartment complex’s gym last month, as captured on surveillance video.
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On January 22, Nashali Alma, 24, was exercising at the Inwood Apartment Complex gym when Xavier Thomas-Jones, 25, attacked her. Surveillance footage showed Alma allowing Thomas-Jones into the gym after recognizing him from a previous gym session and informing him that he lived on the complex. However, when Thomas-Jones attempted to grab the young woman by the waist, she quickly moved away from him.
A woman shares her experience after fighting off a man who physically assaulted her in her apartment complex’s gym.
Nashali Alma wanted to speak out about her experience to encourage other women who’ve dealt with similar incidents to speak out. pic.twitter.com/hyTeO3quRA
— HCSO (@HCSOSheriff) February 15, 2023
“As soon as he was approaching me, I pushed him. I said, ‘Bro, what the F are you doing? Get away from me. Stop trying to touch me.’ He started chasing me around the bench, and we ended up on the other side of the gym,” Alma explained to Fox 8. The two start fighting each other, and Thomas-Jones attempts to pin her to the ground.
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Alma manages to escape from him and runs to a nearby apartment, where she contacts 911, and Thomas-Jones is arrested several hours later. During an interview with deputies, he confessed to restraining and attacking Alma because he wanted to have sex with her. After his failed attempt, he attacked another woman and committed the act because he thought she was pretty. Deputies charged him with sexual battery, false imprisonment, burglary, and kidnapping. Alma hopes her story has inspired other women to fight back in light of the attack.
“As long as you fight back and show him that you’re strong and you’re not giving up, I believe it’s possible to escape. It’s better to reach out to law enforcement sooner than later. The sooner they have the information, the sooner they can catch that person.”
After her video went viral on Twitter, thousands of women commented on Alma’s bravery and emphasized how important it is for women to defend themselves in similar situations. “This is terrifying! So glad she was able to fight him off. And for everyone saying she shouldn’t have let him in, it doesn’t matter, regardless! She had to leave at some point. This predator would’ve just waited for her outside of the door & maybe followed her to her apartment!,” one user wrote.
She really beat his ass. I love that for her
— CODIne (@SheaButtaBaddie) February 16, 2023
Learning lesson for men: don’t assault people.
Everytime a situation like this happens, the discourse is ALWAYS towards what the woman should’ve/shouldn’t have done. I understand the sentiment is to help but at some point we have to start aiming all the blame on the perpetrator
— 𝑨 𝑹 𝑰 🖤🕸🕷 (@ryhiarstevenson) February 16, 2023
Eye opening for sure. I let ppl in my apartment gym all the time. Would never think this could happen to me!
— LL Cool Jay (@PorshaJay) February 16, 2023