On Friday, January 10th, the Austin Police Department released a statement in which they said a man attempted to abduct a female jogger earlier that morning. The incident occurred in southwest Austin near Escarpment Boulevard and Hillside Terrace Drive. 

Ashley Cuellar, the woman running at 5 a.m. on Escarpment, was shocked about the attempted abduction. 

“I’ve gone on a run at 11 at night and felt safe and fine and not scared at all,” Cuellar said according to KVUE. “I’ve never felt like I needed to carry a weapon and protect myself, but now I have to carry something.” 

This event has raised the topic of safety across students who live in this area. As a southwest Austin resident and a student of this high school, junior Annalisa Gonzales finds it unfortunate that events like these occur. 

“It’s unfortunate that we live in a society where simply going out to jog can be unsafe,” Gonzales said. “I don’t think this changes my perception of the South Austin area because situations similar to this one can occur everywhere.” 

After the attempted abduction, Cuellar might feel safer is she carries something to defend herself with. 

“I’ve never felt like I needed to carry a weapon and protect myself, but now I have to carry something,” Cuellar said according to KVUE. 

Gonzales believes that a solution could to events like that is to carry a weapon when one is alone. 

“I think that a way to stay safe is to be aware of your surroundings and maybe carry something you could defend yourself with if you’re alone,” Gonzales said.