'I Told Him He Messed With the Wrong Witch'

[Hum]

A Texas mother's determination to keep her family out of danger drove her to battle an alleged carjacker until he fled from her minivan -- only to be struck by her vehicle as she tried to "stop him so he didn't hurt anybody else," the woman said.

While Dorothy Baker and her 2-year-old and 5-year-old sons were shopping Friday at a CVS in Baytown, Texas, a man identified as Ismael Martinez allegedly hid out in her unlocked van, police said.

When the family got back into the car, Baker said Martinez "popped up out of the backseat and said that if I didn't want my kids to get hurt, that I would do exactly what he said."

Martinez, 54, allegedly pulled a knife on Baker while she was driving and demanded she stop at an ATM for money, she said.

When she refused, Martinez allegedly became violent, she said.

Baker said she fought back, refusing to compromise the safety of her children.

"She's got a cut that goes across her chest, and she grabbed the knife and he bit her hand," Baker's husband, Charles Flugence said.

"I took my fist and I hit him in the face, and I told him to get out of my car," Baker said.

Baker intentionally drove her van into a telephone pole in hopes of sending Martinez through the front windshield, according to the Baytown Police Department crime report.

Police said she managed to dial 911 while she grappled with the suspect in hopes that a dispatcher might hear what was going on in the car and find a way to help, ABC station KTRK-TV in Houston reported.

"I thought, 'If you swerve and hit the pole, he's not wearing a seatbelt, he'll go through the windshield or at least hit his head, and you can stop him. You can do something to make sure that he doesn't hurt your kids,'" Baker told KTRK-TV. "That's all I was thinking of really, was just to get him away from my kids."

Police said Martinez eventually jumped out of the van and tried to flee. But before Baker knew it, she had run her car into him.

"I didn't mean to run him over," she said. "I was just trying to stop him so he didn't hurt anybody else."

Martinez was airlifted to Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston with serious injuries after the alleged attack. He is expected to face felony charges once he is discharged.

Meanwhile, Baytown residents have rallied around Baker's bravery.

"She was trying to protect herself and her kids. I would do the same thing," resident Joyce Sparks said.

But Baker said she is just glad her family is safe.

"You don't come after people with kids," she said. "I told him he messed with the wrong witch."

source

[spenser.d]

She tried to protect her kids from harm by running into a pole?

[Ph1b3r0pt1c]

She tried to protect her kids from harm by running into a pole?

I am positive you could make rational decisions when confronted with a problem such as this as well.

[Gerowen]

She tried to protect her kids from harm by running into a pole?

The kids were wearing seatbelts, it says right in the story that she observed the assailant was not.  Of course, if you have a similar story of your own to share in which you made a better decision, I'm sure we'd all like to hear it.

 

On topic though, it's a good thing that she ran him over, otherwise he could have gotten away with it, he's obviously trash, and was occupying his time by trying to take something that didn't belong to him, so she did the world a favor by disabling this man, if only temporarily.

[spenser.d]

The kids were wearing seatbelts, it says right in the story that she observed the assailant was not. Of course, if you have a similar story of your own to share in which you made a better decision, I'm sure we'd all like to hear it.

On topic though, it's a good thing that she ran him over, otherwise he could have gotten away with it, he's obviously trash, and was occupying his time by trying to take something that didn't belong to him, so she did the world a favor by disabling this man, if only temporarily.

So what. She had a two and a five year old. Seat belts or not, that poses a higher risk of harming them than just going to an atm and giving the guy some money. Seat belts stop you from going through a windshield, not from being harmed at all, especially at that age.

I am glad she's okay and that the guy got what was coming to him, but playing hero is pretty much always overly risky if not outright dumb.

[DocM]

Don't mess with mama bear :ninja:

If she and the kids were belted, and as driver she certainly had an air bag, and he was unprotected she played the odds very well - a lot of these street hoods kill or seriously injure their victims once they're no longer of use.

[necroxd]

Baytown is the worst place to be. It's just a slum, hell I have never been there, everyone just tells me. I ask should I go to Baytown to see what its like? Response is no its a slum.

[Growled Member]

The world would be just a wee bit better place if she had "accidentally" managed to kill him. 

[georgevella]

hid out in her unlocked van, police said

Who leaves their van unlocked :S

[Marcos_Edson]

I am glad she's okay and that the guy got what was coming to him, but playing hero is pretty much always overly risky if not outright dumb.

 

Unfortunately, things are just getting out of hand... :(

Down here this weekend, a two years old kid was killed when some random SOB tried to get the car the kid and his father were in; there were no reaction, no sudden movement, no harsh words and still he opened fire while the father was trying to pick his son on the back sit... :( Individual is on the loose after leaving the scene without anything...

[firey]

If she and the kids were belted, and as driver she certainly had an air bag, and he was unprotected she played the odds very well - a lot of these street hoods kill or seriously injure their victims once they're no longer of use.

Something like that happened near where I live about a month ago. A man was selling his truck on Kijiji two guys met him at his house and wanted to test drive it.  He said sure, and went with them.   They ended up kidnapping him and killing/burning him and burying/stashing the body at a farm one of the guys owned.

[techbeck]

What a dumb woman. All could of been avoided if she locked her car.

[moloko]

She tried to protect her kids from harm by running into a pole?

 

yes.  What could she of done. Who is to say if she did exactly as he told her he would try to kill the kids and her when he was finished with them. 

So what. She had a two and a five year old. Seat belts or not, that poses a higher risk of harming them than just going to an atm and giving the guy some money. Seat belts stop you from going through a windshield, not from being harmed at all, especially at that age.

I am glad she's okay and that the guy got what was coming to him, but playing hero is pretty much always overly risky if not outright dumb.

 

He had a knife.  He could easily hurt the kids very quickly.  She cannot run away, the kids. She did what she could and that was try to crash the car.  The less of two evils, have the kids possibly injured in a crash and safe, or severely hurt by a knife wielding crazy.

Who leaves their van unlocked :s

I never lock my car. 

[Growled Member]

What a dumb woman. All could of been avoided if she locked her car.

 

I have forgotten to lock my door a few times. It happens.

[techbeck]

I have forgotten to lock my door a few times. It happens.

 

Well, I never do.  To me its like putting on your seat belt.  It becomes a habit.  I forget I do it sometimes that i have to go back and check.

[Buttus]

There were a few carjackings in Boca Raton a few years ago where the women got killed and the police all said that the best thing to do is just run into a parked car before you get out of the parking lot... 

 

if you get away from people and start driving around, your chance of being let go alive goes to 0%

[Hum]

Who leaves their van unlocked :s

The nice man who gives me candy. :p

[+Random Stranger Subscriber¹]

The nice man who gives me candy. :p

 

where the hell is the like button when it is needed.

[farmeunit]

So what. She had a two and a five year old. Seat belts or not, that poses a higher risk of harming them than just going to an atm and giving the guy some money. Seat belts stop you from going through a windshield, not from being harmed at all, especially at that age.

I am glad she's okay and that the guy got what was coming to him, but playing hero is pretty much always overly risky if not outright dumb.

There's also nothing stopping him from harming them after getting the money as well.  Or she might not have that much in the account, making him angry that he's not getting anything.  Who knows the reason.  I believe she was better off stopping the situation as she did.

[Growled Member]

Like I've seen DocM post several times....you don't mess with Mama Bear when her cubs are in danger.