At a 7-Eleven in Alhambra, California, a woman flashed a hand signal behind her back — and someone inside the store recognized it as a silent plea for help. That simple gesture, created during the pandemic by the Canadian Women's Foundation, led to the arrest of a man with an active warrant, a stun gun in his possession, and ties to a domestic violence incident.
We talk about the viral "signal for help," how it's already saved lives across the country. Learn how to recognize it and use it (although I hope you never have to).
Domestic violence victim uses hand signals to ask for help, suspect arrested: Police (Megan Forrester, ABC News, Sep 3, 2025)
Woman at 7-Eleven with alleged abuser uses hand signal that's a cry for help, police say (Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, Sep 3, 2025)
Missing teen rescued after making a hand gesture she learned from TikTok to signal for help (Amanda Jackson, CNN, Nov 8, 2021)
Hand gesture saves Hickman County woman from domestic violence (Andy Jordan, WKRN(dot)com, Apr 11, 2022)
5 Easy-to-Spot Distress Signals That Are Already Saving People's Lives (Sara Li, InStyle, Jun 3, 2025)
These 'Distress Signals' May Help You Get Out of an Unsafe Situation (Claire Wolters, Verywell Health, Nov 19, 2021)
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