Haley Oscar
Haley Oscar is a 24-year-old mother from Kenosha, Wisconsin. She lived along the shores of Lake Michigan and enjoyed spending time at the beach. In July 2017, Haley decided to head down to Simmons Island Beach, near the Kenosha Lighthouse local landmark. She had some reading to catch up on, and she hoped to relax in the sun all day. Unfortunately, her plans didn’t work out the way that she had hoped.
A Strange Man
While Haley was basking in the sun, a man walked over to her. He kept walking back and forth in front of her. She was trying to focus on her book, but the man was making it impossible. She looked up and guessed that he was Hispanic and in his 40’s. She kept looking at her book but still couldn’t focus. When the man sat down right beside her, Haley realized that something about this man was strange.
The Conversation
Haley tried to ignore the man who had sat down beside her, but when he started talking, she found it impossible. He spoke in broken English and told her that he was from Waukegan, Illinois. Haley shook her head in acknowledgment and tried again to focus on her book. Unfortunately, the man wouldn’t let up. He asked Haley where she lived, if she had a network of people who loved her and if she was financially comfortable. Each of his questions made her more uncomfortable than the one before it. He even went as far as to ask Haley what her credit score was. His last question left her especially nervous. He wondered why such a vulnerable young woman was lying on the beach alone.
Trying To Get Out Of the Situation
Haley was very uncomfortable. She told the man that she was trying to study. She hoped that telling him; this would encourage him to leave. He didn’t get the hint, and he kept asking her inappropriate questions. She asked the man to leave her alone a few times, and he kept ignoring her. Soon, his questions became sexual. He looked at the tattoos that she had on his body and asked if he enjoyed pain. She realized that something was off, and she was going to need some help to get out of the situation.
Feeling Trapped On the Beach
Haley was sitting there becoming increasingly uncomfortable for 40-minutes. She didn’t know what to do. She didn’t want to go to her car in fear that he would follow her. If there was nobody around in the parking lot, she knew that things could quickly go wrong. If she did manage to get in her car and drive home, he could follow her. If he knew where he lived, there could be disastrous consequences. She didn’t even want to stand up in front of him. She knew that she needed help.
Texting a Friend
Finally, Haley decided to start texting some friends. Hopefully, one of them would be able to head to the beach to save her from her situation. Finally, her best friend, Mandi Fuentes answered the call. She told Haley that she was on the way to the beach to rescue her.
Freedom
When the man heard Haley tell her friend that she would be waiting for her, the man got up and walked away. Haley was finally free. When she got home, she decided to warn her friends on social media of the potential predator she encountered on the beach. She managed to take a photo of the man, and she included it in her post. Her caption read, “I don’t think a man has EVER made me that uncomfortable and scared for my safety.” It wasn’t long before Haley’s post gained a lot of attention. It was shared thousands of times. People were commenting on the post with their similar stories. Soon, the police saw the post.
Human Trafficking
When the local authorities saw the post, they commented. According to the police, the women of Kenosha are especially vulnerable to predators involved in human trafficking. The I-94 corridor runs through two major cities, Chicago and Milwaukee. The corridor offers access to a variety of major cities. It is easy for a predator to abduct a woman and quickly whisk her away. When Haley saw the comment, she realized that she was in real danger that day.
Chief Of Kenosha Police Department
When Daniel Miskinis, the Chief of Police of Kenosha released a statement addressing the worrying trend. In his July 19, 2017 post, he wrote, The KPD continues to receive and investigate incident in which females have been followed and/or approached by unknown male suspects in various vehicles at different locations in the city. Too often, these incidents have gone unreported to police but instead been posted via social media or news outlets.
Feeling Lucky
Haley felt incredibly lucky that day. She couldn’t believe how close she was to having something terrible happen. A man was asking this woman weird questions. Then her phone rang, and it confirmed her suspicions. Miskinis says that people need to report these dangerous predators to the police immediately. The sooner they are off the streets, the better.
