Christmas season has sent floods of shoppers to the streets and stores. The increasing influx of busy people running their holiday errands has not only made shopping malls more crowded, but also more lucrative hot spots for thieves.
Reuters reported one such attack on a New Jersey couple. Last night, Dustin Friedland, a thirty-year-old lawyer from Hoboken, was Christmas shopping with his wife at a mall in Milburn, NJ. After wrapping up for the night, the pair headed to their vehicle in the mall’s parking garage. Friedland first let in his wife, and then stepped around to the driver’s side of his Range Rover. Before he entered the vehicle, however, he was confronted by a gunman. The man shot Friedland in the head, killing him. He and an accomplice stole the vehicle, leaving Friedland’s grieving wife uninjured. The Freidland’s Range Rover was found earlier today in Newark, about ten miles from where the couple was carjacked.
For those of you headed out to the stores to wrap up your gift list this year, keep in mind that not everyone at the malls has “good will towards men” on their mind. Having strong situational awareness and maintaining your personal safety vigilantly can help you, and your loved ones, to stay safe this holiday shopping season.
Featured image courtesy of contributor TreyMo via istockphoto.com
H/T to David Jones of Reuters.com
Damn…this is tragic. What the hell is wrong with people?
JoeFabeetzThe problem in this sentence <i>What the hell is wrong with people?</i> is you are accrediting these people the right to be considered human or of having humanity. There are a group of people that I think just need to be taken out behind the court house and put down like the animals they are.
Very tragic. But, you give useful tips how to prevent it.
The most effective way to avoid it is to not live in New York or New Jersey where they expect their citizens to be raped, robbed or killed by anyone with any type of weapon because the officials think that their electorate is to stupid to be able to protect themselves with a firearm. With the new legislation this situation is only going to get worse until the voters do something about it.
JoeFabeetzI thought it was sad, too :[
EricKmiecikI hope to encourage people to be more self-defense-minded. :]
hartcreek NJ is definitely on my list of states I’d not want to live.
Jim P. JoeFabeetz I realize that you are upset by the circumstances, however comments like this is what fuels the gun control advocates. This “need to be taken out behind the courthouse and put down,” is EXACTLY how they look at 2nd Amendment people. They point their collective fingers and say, “See? That’s why we need gun control, to stop people like him who want to shoot people.”
I’m not on the crooks side, they deserve strict punishment, but as one who does work in law enforcement, I would advise you to think before you talk about “putting people down.”
Unbelievable how bad this world has gotten with events like these. Awareness of your surroundings is key. It still won’t save you EVERY time, but it has to be more on our minds than it usually is. Even being prepared to defend yourself physically won’t count for much if you’re not constantly aware of what is going on around you or thinking about your response if something occurs. It may sound a bit paranoid, but sadly, this attitude really IS needed, as evidenced by this sad story.
sNw9 I grant I used shorthand in the reply.
The fully explained statement: Those who committed the crime should be tracked down, arrested, and jailed. The criminals then should be given a fair trial under the 4th, 5th, and 6th amendment and applicable state laws. Then after they are convicted, the judgement should be based on the current charge and their prior criminal history. Those that have an extensive criminal history, incontrovertible proof of an aggravated crime, or a psychopathic or sociopathic history should be
The convicted that are found to be a waste of space should be put down quickly.
This is based off the total BS that happened in a case that happened near my original home: The Martin Appel case.
http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/gangsters_outlaws/cops_others/martin_appel/1_index.html
Please tell me what redeeming characteristics these Axxxxxxxx have.
I’m not saying use this kind of justice always. If there is true ambiguity (wife died in shower — Cincy OH) it is a different animal.
But in this case if the killers are caught with the weapon(s) and this isn’t the first brush with the law, why waste the money keeping them in jail.