Man Attacks Woman Who Turned Him Down – Why Self-Defense Is Essential

LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MICHIGAN — When you’re moving between homes, it’s hard to find people willing to help.  Unfortunately for one woman in Livingston County, she chose the wrong helper.  After finishing up a long day of packing up from her former Mason Road home with the help of Joshua Jaid Rodgers, 25, they were set to close up for the night.  While they were loading furniture, Sheriff Bob Bezotte cited for WMAZ-13 that Rodgers had allegedly told the woman he wanted sex but she had refused.   He left at approximately 11:45 pm after being requested to leave.

However, the Sheriff said it didn’t end there.  Rodgers pulled his Ford Focus to the end of the driveway and reportedly “revved his engine and began driving around the house.”  So, just so it’s clear, that’s where it’s pretty safe to say he’s departed significantly from normative behavior.

After cycling around her house a bunch of times, he returned and began banging on the front door.  Not getting in through the front, he moved to the back door.  And if there was any doubt it was going to get better, it obviously didn’t as he removed his shirt from his body, wrapped it around his fist and broke in the glass on the door.

Once he was finally inside, that’s when she decided to dial 911.  Unfortunately, by that time it was too late.  He yanked the phone from her hand.  When she tried to dial a second time, he slammed it down on the kitchen floor – effectively destroying it.

The sheriff then described Rodgers attacking her, holding her against her will.  According to the sheriff’s statements, he then reportedly grabbed her throat and threw her off her own porch.  This provided her one and only opportunity to flee.  She ran and hid in neighbor’s yards, ditches, and behind bushes until she finally found a neighbor who was home and could call 911 for help.

Rodgers, being the brave sexual predator he was, quickly opted to flee the scene and return back to his home where he was eventually greeted by Michigan State Police.  The trooper who arrested Rodgers described him for WMAZ-13 as, “highly intoxicated and had his right hand in an Ace bandage.”  Otherwise, no resistance was reported.

Drunk, evil-twin Samwise Gamgee is now being held on $400,000 bond pending charges on first-degree home invasion, assault with intent to commit sexual penetration, and assault with intent to commit bodily harm, and assault by strangulation.

In terms of the woman’s defense, it does no good to speculate what she could or should have done.  What she did may have indeed saved her life and well-being.  What can be done to avoid situations like this is situational awareness and having a home defense plan in place to deal with predatory nutjobs like this guy.