WADESBORO, N.C. — Advocates for survivors of domestic violence said often times people don’t want to get involved, but in this case, it was the opposite.
They credit the quick actions of a local business owner who rescued a woman from an awful situation.
“She said out the window the guy had hit her,” said Dale Pickett, the owner of Spit ‘n’ Shine Car Wash & Detailing.
Pickett said the woman was nine months pregnant and that last Thursday, one of his employees was keeping a woman there against her will.
He looked at the woman and could see that her face was a little swollen. He then went inside and asked why his employee was hitting her. Pickett told the man he could go to jail.
Pickett said he immediately fired his employee and got the woman her stuff back.
“I just demanded that he give her the keys and phone,” said Pickett. “You know, it’s not your belongings.”
Sgt. Tamika Nolen is a detective with Wadesboro Police and she said that at the time, the woman was very scared and shaken up. She interviewed the victim and charged Tyrese Lilly with assault on a pregnant woman, battery on an unborn child and kidnapping.
The arrest warrant said the night before, Lilly had “punched the victim, poured liquor on her, hit her in the face with the empty bottle, and dragged her against her will.”
“She should be commended. I don’t call her a victim anymore,” said Nolen. “She is now on the surviving side.”
Nolen said the Anson County Domestic Violence Coalition also helped get the woman a DV protective order. Its executive director applauds the business owner for seeing the signs of abuse in addition to physical injuries. She said seeing someone have “control over someone else is a major red flag.”
“I mean we deal anywhere, just in Anson County, anywhere from 15-65 cases a month,” said Karen Baucom, the executive director of the Anson County Domestic Violence Coalition. “That’s a lot. I know Mecklenburg and all of them are 10 times that. Speaking up is sometimes the only way you can save a victim.”
Pickett said he’s just glad he could help.
“I know they used to fuss a little bit now and then, but I kinda stay out way of that,” Pickett said. “But when it’s time to throw punches and all that, it’s time to step in.”
Police told Channel 9 that the woman was supposed to see her OBGYN doctor the morning of the incident, but missed the appointment. Channel 9’s Gina Esposito was told that since then, the woman has been able to get medical attention. The mother and baby are doing fine.
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