A 16-year-old girl who’d been reported missing by her parents was found after she used a TikTok hand signal to alert strangers that she was in danger. The girl was with her kidnapper, later identified as James Herbert Brick, 61, in a car driving on Interstate 75 in Laurel County, Kentucky when a fellow driver noticed the signal and called 911, NBC News reports. Thankfully, she’s now safe and sound and Brick is behind bars where he belongs.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SIGNAL
Isolation can increase the risk of violence at home. Use this discrete gesture during a video call to show you need help:
1. Hold hand up with palm facing other person.
2. Tuck thumb into palm.
3. Fold fingers down over thumb. pic.twitter.com/gsIgSbXOmc— Halton Police (@HaltonPolice) August 24, 2021
- The hand signal recently became popular on TikTok. It’s a simple movement to “represent violence at home – I need help – domestic violence,” Sheriff John Root explained. He noted that the driver who called 911 mentioned that the victim “appeared to be in distress” and was making “hand gestures” consistent with the TikTok trend. The gesture itself sees the hand with the thumb tucked in with the other fingers folded over it.
- The caller stayed on the line with 911 dispatchers to guide police to the vehicle. The good samaritan continually gave updates on the car’s location as Brick drove the pair down Interstate 75. This was incredibly helpful and allowed Lt. Chris Edwards and Detective Robert Reed to catch up with the silver Toyota as it tried to exit the highway in London, Kentucky.
- The missing girl was found in the car passenger seat of the car. Brick, of Cherokee, North Carolina, was immediately arrested and taken into custody. Thankfully, the victim appeared unharmed. She had been reported missing by her parents a few days previously after going missing from Asheville, North Carolina. She later told authorities that she’d traveled with Brick through North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, and into Ohio, where Brick had relatives. They left the relative’s property when they noticed the girl was underage.
- Further investigation proved the extent of Brick’s crimes. Sheriff’s investigators discovered a phone in his possession which showed “a juvenile female in a sexual manner.” He was charged with first-degree unlawful imprisonment and possession of material depicting a sexual performance by a minor over 12 but under 18. He’s currently in Laurel County Correctional Center in $10,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court on November 9.
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