Meet Alexa, a 30-year-old native New Yorker from the Bronx.
She recently wrote a now-viral Twitter thread about being followed into her University Heights apartment building by a stranger this past Saturday.
A thread: The following set of tweets detail what happened to me coming home Saturday night to University Heights in the BX. I am not doing this for attention/sympathy, but rather to warn the public, especially my fellow women, who may live in the area or know some1 who does.
"I am not doing this for attention/sympathy, but rather to warn the public, especially my fellow women, who may live in the area or know some1 who does," she tweeted.
After exiting an Uber at 3:50 A.M., Alexa entered her building lobby and experienced a "strange feeling...like something was warning [her] to be cautious or that [she] wasn't alone." Footage from the building's surveillance camera later confirmed that Alexa hadn't been alone because a man walked behind her only moments after.
The following footage is me walking up into my building. You’ll notice a man walk behind me moments later. I did not see or hear him. https://t.co/oxCtNvcstN
"I’ll also take this opportunity to reiterate the importance of drivers waiting for their passengers to arrive at their front door safely before driving off," she added. "In this case, mine didn’t."
Alexa was still in the lobby when she noticed the reflection of a dark, shadow-like figure standing outside the front door. That's when she thought to make sure the door was locked. Below is surveillance of her in the lobby, and the man in the first entryway of the building.
This video is the recording of me entering my building with my keys, & the man coming behind. Note that this video is happening in parallel to the one from inside my lobby. He most likely doesn’t follow me inside because he intended to attack me before I entrd my building.... https://t.co/dDocMQ4YSU
"He had his foot on the corner [of the door] to stop it from closing behind me after I enterd," she explained. "He most likely doesn’t follow me inside because he intended to attack me before I entrd my building or he was watching for me to go upstairs so that he could run up behind me and/or force himself into my apartment." When Alexa realized what was happening, she quickly returned to the door to shut it completely, moving his foot in the process.
Once the man left the building entryway, Alexa went to the second floor and immediately dialed 911 to report the incident. "My hands were shaking & I was stuttering so hard that the operator thought I was hurt," she tweeted. The police reportedly arrived minutes later.
Since Saturday night I keep replaying the incident over and over, thinking of the many factors that could’ve caused a different outcome; me dropping my keys or stopping to look for them in my bag, being drunk and taking my time walking in, being distracted on my phone.
Camera footage shows that the unknown man—who Alexa described as "about 6’3, around 220 lbs"—wore a scarf that covered most of his face. "If you have any information, contact your authorities, or me," she tweeted. "If not, RT this thread to save a life."
“If I didn’t have the video footage, there would have been room to question [my story]," Alexa told BuzzFeed's As/Is. "Some people would say ‘Okay, why didn’t he go inside? How do you know he just wasn’t a neighbor?’"
More than 17,000 people have retweeted Alexa's thread in less than 23 hours, while hundreds have sent messages of support and similar stories. "I had a vaguely similar experience on a train. I was 14, I listened to my instincts, and I made him get off the train. I got lucky":
@ojoscafe I’m so glad you’re okay. I’m so glad this ended without harm. Physical harm, I can’t imagine how you feel right now. I had a vaguely similar experience on a train. I was 14, I listened to my instincts, and I made him get off the train. I got lucky.
"This is so scary. One of my biggest fears. So glad you’re ok.":
@ojoscafe This is so scary. One of my biggest fears. So glad you’re ok.
"A similar incident happened to me almost two years ago & I was attacked @ a bustop & almost dragged into a car":
@ojoscafe I’m sooooo glad you are safe! A similar incident happened to me almost two years ago & I was attacked @ a bustop & almost dragged into a car. I am so happy you are safe! Feel free to DM or anything to check in 💜
"I can guarantee you men don’t fear for their safety in the same way":
@ojoscafe It’s crazy that has women we always have to walk with fear in our hearts. Wondering if we will be attacked, assaulted or raped whilst walking home at night, at a tube station or bus stop. I can guarantee you men don’t fear for their safety in the same way. #womenssafety 🎓☝🏾
"We have to be 15 steps ahead potential predators which is exhausting and mentally straining":
@ojoscafe Thank God you are safe. This is terrifying and unfortunately something as women we have to be on guard about 24/7. We have to be 15 steps ahead potential predators which is exhausting and mentally straining. Sending my love to you girl.
"It sucks we were raised to be prepared to be attacked or even the idea if being attacked by men in the comfort if our homes":
@ojoscafe I’m so glad you are okay. I can’t express that enough through a tweet. It sucks we were raised to be prepared to be attacked or even the idea if being attacked by men in the comfort if our homes. Blessings to you love 💕
Alexa hopes that her story provides life-changing lessons to everyone, men included. "If you're available to [meet someone] at the front door, do it," she advised. "If you can pick someone up because they can't get home safely, do that as well. Extend your help."
@ojoscafe My mom works nights and I pick up her from the train always on time. Because of this very reason. Women are under attack today, maybe more now than ever. Men and women, we gotta protect each other now more than ever. You are brave! Thank you for sharing!
Support can also come in the form of critical dialogue, Alexa noted: "I have male colleagues, friends, and family members and I’ve heard that 'locker room talk' and I’m like 'Well what are you doing to stop that? You guys think that’s all fun and games until one of your friends who was talking like that is on the news for murdering somebody while you thought that it was a joke.'"
“Do your part," she said. "Even when you’re with a group of friends or your family and you hear something that doesn’t sound right, say something. Because you never know whose perspective you’ll change.”
“If you ever doubted movements like the #MeToo movement, I think my story is the perfect example," Alexa told As/Is. "This right here is why we’re consistently talking about how we have to deal with this reality every single day. This right here is why women fear for their lives.”
