The Philippines’ Makati City had a real-life karate kid last week when an 11-year-old managed to escape from an alleged attacker after she used skills she learned from summer martial arts classes to get away.
The girl told ABS-CBN News that she was riding a tricycle on her way to school when the driver, identified as Raul Gavino, allegedly started to attack her.
ABS-CBN News respondent Anjo Bagaoisan tweeted a photo today of Gavino and the girl.
Tricycle driver, arestado matapos pagsusuntukin ang 11-anyos na dalagitang sumakay sa tricycle niya papuntang paaralan nito sa Makati pic.twitter.com/jsTPjwZmqC
— Anjo Bagaoisan (@anjo_bagaoisan) June 24, 2018
The girl said that Gavino allegedly stopped at a street in Barangay Pembo in Makati where he got off and smoked a cigarette. He then allegedly attempted to enter the passenger side of the tricycle and started hitting her.
She was able to defend herself by kicking her perpetrator, allowing her to eventually run away from him.
In an interview with ABS-CBN News, the victim’s grandmother credited karate classes the girl took over the summer for her successful self-defense.
“She’s shy. She was probably scared, which is why she was forced to [fight back]. She is fearless in fighting back,” the girl’s grandmother told ABS-CBN News.
Barangay officials found CCTV footage recorded in the area where the incident happened and recognized the suspect, leading to his immediate arrest on Friday.
“His story to us is that he took drugs prior to the incident. He was awake until 5 in the morning. [The drugs] didn’t subside and he started driving. According to him, when he saw the passenger, he thought it was an archenemy which is why he started attacking her,” head of Makati Police Supt. Rogelio Simon said in Filipino.
Gavino, the driver, refused to give a statement.
He was charged with physical abuse under the women and children’s protection act and grave coercion.
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