Massachusetts Jogger Almost Abducted, Reveals How She Escaped

Sunday morning, in Bridgewater, Massachusetts, a 37-year-old woman was out for a jog when a man attempted to abduct her, as the Enterprise reports. The woman bravely fought back as a concerned neighbor, 84-year-old Donald Prohovich, shouted at the suspect and walked over to the scene; between the woman bravely fighting back and the neighbor becoming involved, that was enough for the abductor to flee. As the kidnapper was driving away from the scene, with quick thinking, the woman was able to take a photo of the vehicle. It was this photo that led the police to their suspect, 57-year-old Gordon Lyons Jr., a convicted rapist.

After he allegedly attempted to kidnap the jogger, Gordon Lyons sped away and crashed into another car on Route 24 in West Bridgewater, as documented by NBC Boston 10. Lyons was transported to Boston Medical Center, and he was arraigned from his hospital bed Tuesday afternoon and hid behind a sheet during the process. Gordon Lyons was convicted of rape in 1978.

The suspect is being held without bail, and reportedly, he will likely undergo further mental health evaluations once he leaves the hospital. He is facing charges of kidnapping, assault and battery, and sexual assault. As Boston 10 documented, Lyons’ attorney, Shannon Hinegardner, said that her client has already undergone a psychiatric assessment and said that she questions his competency after speaking with him.

This is how 57 year old Gordon Lyons was allowed to be arraigned from his hospital bed at BMC today. The convicted rapist, now accused of attacking and trying to kidnap another woman, is held without bail. #wcvb pic.twitter.com/ptI5ybxRQR

— Julie Loncich (@JulieLoncich) June 19, 2018

Donald Prohovich and his wife were getting ready to head to church Sunday morning when he saw the commotion. When he walked down his driveway, he saw two people struggling on his neighbor’s lawn. He recognized the woman immediately as she regularly jogs on that street. She was kicking and screaming for help as the kidnapper attempted to pull her in his car, as seen in the video below. The woman, who has chosen to remain anonymous, told the Enterprise that she believed that Donald walking over played a big part on why she was able to get free.

The next day, the jogger was able to thank her neighbor in person and embraced him with hug. She commented about Donald helping her to the Enterprise.

“The gentleman didn’t know what was going on. He didn’t know if he could get hurt. He didn’t need to walk over, but he did.”

Donald Prohovich commended the brave woman.

“I saw them fighting on the ground and thought, ‘What the heck is going on?’ I wasn’t going to let something happen to her…She took a picture of the car and she called the police. I mean she had the [mind] to do all of that, it was wonderful…I’m not the hero. She is the real hero. She is the hero of her own story.”