Florida woman who escaped alleged attempted kidnapping in St. Augustine: 'You always fight back'

Woman who escaped attempted kidnapping: 'Fight back'

An 18-year-old Florida woman who yelled, screamed, and fought back against a man accused of attempting to drag her into his car has a message for young girls and women: "Always fight back."

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. - An 18-year-old Florida woman who yelled, screamed, and fought back against a man accused of attempting to drag her into his car has a message for young girls and women: "Always fight back."

Emma recently sat down for an on-camera interview with a member of the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office's communication team about what happened, and how she's been coping since. That interview was then shared with several media outlets, including FOX 35 Orlando. 

Emma told Taylor Levesque, a public information officer with the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office, during the interview, that her shift at the smoke shop started normally.

She said the alleged suspect came in to the store, used the bathroom, and left. He came back again, went into the bathroom, and came back out. When he came back out, he went behind the counter, started grabbing various items off the shelf, and then headed for the door. 

"He tries going for the front door. I block his way, and then he said, ‘what are you going to do about it,'" she said. "And then I sort of froze up a little bit, and then he pushed me out of the door, and put me in a chokehold and dragged me out to the truck and tried shoving me in."

She said the suspect didn't say anything after that. But, she knew she had to do anything – and everything – to get away.

"I just kept fighting back and screaming," she said in the interview.

A woman nearby saw what was happening and immediately called 911. After Emma was able to get away, she ran to the other woman, and both took refuge inside a nearby restaurant, providing as many details as possible about the alleged suspect's description.

Glad to be safe, Emma said she's still processing what happened, is looking for a new job, but most importantly, looking after herself. 

"My parents always taught me that whenever you're in any sort of danger, you always fight back," she said.

"I hope this can show other women and young females, like myself, that you can fight back. And that it doesn't matter how small you are."

"Just never be quiet. Always fight back no matter what. Kick, scream, all of it."

What we know about the alleged suspect

The alleged suspect, Theodore Tunididor, drove away from the smoke shop, according to court documents.

FHP Troopers found his vehicle, at first, unaware of his alleged connection to the burglary and attempted kidnapping. He was initially stopped because his truck was reported stolen out of Duval County.

He has since been arrested on several charges, including kidnapping, robbery, and grand theft auto.

Safety tips

The St. Johns County Sheriff's Office praised Emma for the way she fought off her alleged attacker. They said she did everything right to get away, and included six tips:

• Observe and be aware of surroundings and people
• Know your "Danger Zone", the distance between people that can jeopardize personal safety
• Trust your instincts and life experiences. If you think something is wrong, it usually is.
• Get away / Create distance
• Prepare for worst case scenario -mental rehearsal – learn from examples (like this incident)
• Attitude, mental commitment, and preparation are keys to success