This post is as much as a reminded to agents to keep on their guard. A young agent was assaulted while showing an empty home. She did write down the license plate of the attacker before showing the home and followed proper procedures. Because she wrote down the information, police were able to track down the identity of the perpetrator. He is thought to be Mathew Wilson, a career criminal and shown in the picture to the right.
So doing the right thing may not make you completely safe, but taking proactive steps before showing homes is a great way to protect yourself and help the authorities arrest the perpetrator. And if those who want to commit crimes on real estate agents know that there are measures in place to protect themselves, deterrence may stop others from committing these crimes.
A man posing as a home buyer waited until he got a 24-year-old real estate agent in an unfinished part of the basement and then pulled out a handgun.
He handcuffed her to a pole and sexually assaulted her, at one point putting a knife to her throat, police said. Afterward, he robbed her and warned her not to scream for help, police said, before leaving her alone in the new home she thought he wanted to buy in the 700 block of Southbrook Forest Court in Weldon Spring…
On Monday, police were searching for Mathew E. Wilson, 48, a man they identified as a “person of interest” in the case. Wilson regularly uses an alias, Mathew Dulin, police said, and appears to be a man pictured on video surveillance at a nearby gasoline station, which police found in a canvass of area businesses. Wilson has not been charged.
Wilson is wanted on four felony warrants in St. Francois County in connection with a car theft in January. Police believe Wilson is driving that car — a 1995 blue Ford Contour with Missouri license plate number 1AW95M.
Police described him as a career criminal who has been jailed for violent and nonviolent offenses. He has ties in Southern Illinois, throughout Missouri and in Las Vegas, police said. His last known address was in Bonne Terre. via STLtoday
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Test, or demo blog still allive and well. http://www.allTallDay.com – happy to show how it works. I have recently been throug a rough one and wnat to do all that I can to promote realtor safety.
This is why career criminals need to be given a new career – as lifetime inmates!
At least she took the proper precautions…
How awful! A woman just trying to do her job. Why must so many men prey on women?
Teresa Boardman had a great post on her site on how she protects herself. I can’t locate it, but have asked her to come over and leave a comment referencing it.
I know she mentioned always taking a photo of the license plate and immediately emailing it to herself and maybe others. She does this in plain site of the client and explains the situation
You must not have gotten the emails I sent. Had to wirte the post on someone elses blog.
http://transparentre.com/2007/02/11/teresas-unique-blogcell-phone.aspx
Thats crazy, do most females take down the persons information? I have seen agents make the buyer meet at the office.
Too bad "proper procedures" didn't include weapons training, a carry-permit, and a handgun in her purse. Too bad "proper procedures" didn't include one of the judges in this animal's past sentencing him to enough time behind bars so that he wasn't out of jail to do this.
SKCAR has great info on safety as a result of the death of a member agent. Most important thing is to pre-qualify a buyer/client at your office. Most criminals don't like to be exposed to a broad base of potential witnesses. Here's the comparison: would you show your home to someone you didn't know, whose intentions were unclear, by yourself, with no help nearby? Be a hard target and they'll move on!
Wow I cant believe this. I am the broker for a mid sized agency, and we try to take steps to protect our agents. Most clients are not a danger, but there is always the random wackos out there.
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