BRYAN, Texas — Two women from Bryan,Texas, who are current victims of stalking, have come foward to give their experiences with harrassment and lack of assistance from lack enforcement.
Skylar Hickman Story
In August, twenty year-old , Skylar Hickman met a man in Target for a date that didnt go as planned. The person begin to stalk and harrass Hickman after the date.
Hickman, said "I don't think we should continue with this, he was like I completely agree don't worry about it and I thought that was it we never spoke again".
Before Thanksgiving, the stalker attempted to break into Hickman's home.
"My whole entire room was ransacked, my dog was moved out of my kennel, and he had stolen really weird objects like personal objects."
Hickman's did manage to filed a police report and even took her case to court. She was soon informed by police officers that it wasn't enough evidence to move forward. According Hicksman, police officers advised Hicksman to stay away from dating apps.
Hickman explained her past experience with failed assistance from law enforcement, could be one of the reasons women feel discourage to not come foward. Hickman, classes have become virtual due to her fear of being seen, or stalked by her attacker.
Michelel Raya Story
33 year-old, Michelle Raya, who began being stalked from a simple facebook friend request. Raya said, "Like three days later, he was like I love you,".
Raya explained , the stalker requested money within weeks of knowing each other. She then blocked the person mulitple times on diffrent accounts they created.
Raya said she attempeted to get help from police but was told to ignore him, and he'll go away. She even went to the FBI for futher assistance but still resulted in nothing.Raya even took the liberty to hire her personal security team to handle the situation.
Alyssa Jewell ,a Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Prevention Specialist. Jewell explained , a main goal of a stalker is control.
Jewell suggested changing your routine on the way to work, or even the grocery store daily is a way to protect yourself. You can protect your where abouts, by not sharing your location online and/or turning them off while out.
Hickman and Raya both feel they will continue to fight back until justice is served.
If someone you know or yourself is experiencing stalking , You can find more infomration or rescources by visiting www.stalkingawareness.org