A domestic violence suspect in California was arrested after a woman displayed hand signals behind her back asking for help, according to the Alhambra Police Department.
In a press release on Sunday, police said they responded to a call at a 7-Eleven in Alhambra, California, “regarding suspicious circumstances.” Jail records indicate the incident occurred on Aug. 19.
After further investigation, officials determined that “domestic violence had occurred” as the female victim was “asking for help using hand signals behind her back,” police said.
Officials said someone inside the 7-Eleven “recognized what she was doing” and called police to respond to the scene.
While it is unclear what hand gestures the woman used to seek help, the Women’s Funding Network — the largest philanthropic alliance in the world “dedicated to gender justice funders” — said a common nonverbal sign to communicate help is for someone to place their thumb to their open palm and then “trap” their thumb with the rest of their fingers.
An officer’s body camera shows police speaking to the couple and then gesturing to talk to the male suspect outside the 7-Eleven. Then, when the suspect — identified as Glendora, California, resident John Palombi — was asked to stand up for a pat down, he “attempted to flee but didn’t even make it out of the parking lot.”Palombi, 38, was then arrested and booked at the Alhambra Police Department Jail, officials said. Police said they also discovered that Palombi had an “active warrant and a stun gun on his person.”He is now being held at the Men’s Central Jail in Los Angeles, according to jail records.
Palombi’s next court appearance is scheduled for Sept. 11.
It is unclear whether Palombi has an attorney who can speak on his behalf.
The Alhambra Police Department did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.
By ABC News
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