Dragonfly Centre: Woman escapes violent boyfriend by slipping note to gas station clerk

Mission

Non-Profit, 501(c)(3)

Mission: The Dragonfly Centre is committed to the elimination of domestic violence against women and their children by providing victim friendly services that promotes the empowerment of survivors; through advocacy, public awareness and education and community based initiatives.

Vision: The Dragonfly Centre envisions a world free of violence against women and their children and social justice for all. We are founded on the vision and belief that every person has the right to live in a safe environment free from violence and the fear of violence and strive to work collaboratively with the community to provide victim friendly services to support domestic violence victims, survivors to the stage of thriving.

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Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Woman escapes violent boyfriend by slipping note to gas station clerk

A violent goon is back in jail in Washington State after his battered girlfriend slipped a note to a gas station clerk asking him to call 911.

BY Philip Caulfield

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Wednesday, May 21, 2014, 2:03 PM

Bruce Dean, a clerk at an Arco gas station in Tacoma,

called the police after a desperate woman trying to escape

her abusive boyfriend slipped him a note.

A gas station attendant in Washington state helped rescue a desperate woman from her violent boyfriend after the woman slipped him a note pleading for help.

Bruce Dean, a clerk at an Arco gas station in Tacoma, said the frightened woman scrawled "Call 911" and her license plate on a scrap of paper and handed to him inside his store on Saturday afternoon, KIRO-TV reported.

The piece of paper also said "DV" — for domestic violence — and had a line that read "baby in car."
"It said call 911, and I did," Dean told the station.

When police eventually caught up to the car, the woman told them her boyfriend, Mark Valuckas, had been abusing her and threatened to hurt her child.

Mark Valuckas, 36, of Tacoma, Washington, was arrested
Saturday on felony assault and harassment charges.

Valuckas, 36, stands only 4-foot-3, but has a long rap sheet.

According to reports, he's a registered sex offender who has been busted in the past for sexual assault, kidnapping and weapons charges.

Days before the woman's bid to escape, he'd stabbed her in the hand, burned her with cigarettes and hit her in the head with a baseball bat, police said.

The woman told cops she didn't try to run because she was afraid Valuckas would hurt her and her child.

On Saturday, the woman said, Vlauckas attacked her and held a knife to her throat.

He then allegedly told her to take a car ride with him so they could cool off, the New Tribune reported.

Valuckas was arrested and charged with assault and harassment.

He was being held on $500,000 bail.

Source: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/woman-escapes-violent-boyfriend-slipping-note-gas-station-clerk-article-1.1800695#ixzz32zdn2uT6

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A Little Background…..

In 2007 I was introduced to the twin island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. It is a beautiful tropical country located in the southern most part of the Caribbean archipelago. However, the opportunity to travel to this part of the world would not present itself until March of 2009. It was an incredible experience to be able to visit a country where I had never been before and I literally knew no-one. I had the privilege to experience a new culture and meet many wonderful people who made my trip an amazing experience. Although the purpose of my visit was recreational, something happened that changed all of that. One evening while on a hike with my tour guide and one of the locals at The ASA Wright Nature Centre, one of the men asked me where I was from and what I did for a living. It was at that moment that I disclosed that I was a Domestic Violence Advocate. He paused, looked at me and replied,… “we need you here”. At that moment I did not fully understand what he meant or how I could help.

A few days after this I visited one of the local court houses to learn about how someone could obtain a protection order. What I discovered disturbed me greatly, to say the least. The process by which abused individuals could obtain legal protections left much to be desired. This sparked grave concern for victims coupled with a desire to learn more about the local system and services. After I finished my travels all I could think about was the need of the people in Trinidad and Tobago. It was shortly after my return to the United States that the Dragonfly Centre for Women’s Empowerment and Transformation began to take form. While completing my Bachelors degree at Evergreen College, I developed an Individual Learning Contract entitled “Domestic Violence in Trinidad and Tobago” and was awarded The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship. This allowed me to return to Trinidad and Tobago for my final quarter at the end of December of 2009 for my nine week study. My focus was on services addressing domestic violence. What I came away with was the echoing cries for help by the people who freely shared their personal views and stories. Although I wasn’t quite sure what, I knew I had to do something. As a consequence, it was these cries that gave birth to and helped shape the Dragonfly Centre to be what it is, a multifaceted institution with a focus on public education, shaping public policy and providing direct victim friendly services to support families dealing with domestic violence.