VERO BEACH, Fla. — Sheila Scott said she called the Indian River County Sheriff after seeing video of the possible suspect connected to two abduction attempts in a Vero Beach neighborhood.
"The kid banged on the door very loud," Scott said. "Bang, bang, bang, bang and he went nuts."
Scott said she saw the suspect around 4:30 a.m. on June 29 while she was walking her dog Toby in the Pointe West neighborhood. She became uneasy when she noticed him staring them down and following her home.
"I was uneasy, that's why I actually went back inside and shut the door," Scott said. "And then when he banged on the door. That was it. I wasn't answering the door. I don't care."
She said she didn't call the sheriff's office when the incident took place because she assumed it was a kid who was under the influence of drugs or alcohol. But after seeing the surveillance footage of the possible suspect, she called the sheriff's office.
Region Indian River County
2 attempted abductions by masked man reported in Indian River Co.
Scott later found out that she lives in the same neighborhood where the first abduction attempt took place on July 2nd.
She showed WPTV reporter Ethan Stein her door, which she said was scrubbed for fingerprints, and said the person caught on camera was wearing the same clothes when she interacted with him about 10 days before.
"They [deputies] took video from my camera system and they could hear him in the background," Scott said. "But, the camera system didn't light up to see him."
She said she plans to put up more cameras like other neighbors in Pointe West.
Sgt. Kevin Jaworski, the spokesperson for the Indian River Sheriff's Office, said deputies spoke with Scott on Monday while canvassing the neighborhood. He said they aren't calling Scott a victim since a crime wasn't committed, but believe it was the suspect they're looking for.
The first incident happened around 10:30 p.m. on July 2. The sheriff's office said a woman reported being approached with a knife but she too was able to run away and call 911. Then, on July 7, a masked man approached a woman from behind and tried to pull her away. The woman managed to scream and run back home to safety.
Carl, who did not want to share his last name, lives next door to the victim who was approached by the man Sunday night.
"We were able to see the young lady walking her dog home, and when she got to the front door [she told us] he grabbed her around the mouth and attempted to pull her away," he said. " I think the thing that saved her was the scream."
After the second incident, the sheriff's office made a post warning the public on Facebook.
Scott, who would become the third woman to interact with the man, said she would have called the sheriff's office earlier if a warning was posted earlier.
"If I knew about that other incidents that happened after mine, I would have called and said what I’ve seen," she said. "I thought it was a one-off."
Stein spoke to at least one contractor who was called to put cameras on a home in Pointe West. Neighbors said they heard about the news and were surprised it happened in their neighborhood where people keep their doors open, walk their dogs, jog or ride golf carts to the golf course near their homes.
Diane, who did not want to share her last name, has lived in the community since 2016 and found out about the attempts through a neighbor who showed her the sheriff's report. She is frustrated that the HOA has not made any point of contact with the residents and reminds other women to stay mindful of their surroundings.
"The thing is, these people are very oriented to walking their dogs, biking and everything else, so now it leaves a sense of instability and that you're not safe, and that's not a good feeling," she said.
Scott said she now walks her dog with a friend. She's concerned the man could possibly become more dangerous.
"I think he's getting bolder," Scott said.
