Suburban Hero: Good Samaritan opens door to victim of domestic violence
It was just after 8 a.m. Aug. 27 when Kyla Davis happened to be driving through the parking lot of a friend's apartment complex on the south side of Arlington Heights and heard a woman screaming and a man yelling.
Davis watched as the man held a knife to the woman's neck and forced her into his SUV.
But the victim was able to escape from the vehicle, and came running toward Davis' car.
Davis let her in and locked the door, while the man ran after her and tried to get in the vehicle.
But Davis — already clutching her phone with a 911 operator on the line — was able to drive away and bring the victim to safety.
For Davis' intervention and heroic actions, she was recognized as a good Samaritan by Arlington Heights village and police officials, who say things could have turned out much worse had Davis not been there to help.
“Kyla's willingness to get involved by coming to the immediate aid of a fellow citizen in crisis exemplifies the definition of a good Samaritan and is truly worthy of recognition,” said Mayor Tom Hayes. “This is not just a good story, but a great story. Who knows what any of us would have done in your situation, but you acted and you saved somebody's life, and we can't thank you enough for your heroic efforts on that day.”
In addition to an Arlington Heights Police Department Chief's Meritorious Service Award, Davis received a newly minted village coin from Hayes, the first one he's awarded. Hayes and Police Chief Nick Pecora presented the awards to Davis during a village board meeting last week.
Davis, of Skokie, said there isn't anything she would change about what she did that day.
“Everything I did was just first instinct,” she said. “And I'm just thankful to God that it played out the way it did as far as (the victim's) safety.”
As Davis drove away with the victim from the parking lot near Goebbert and Algonquin roads, the offender got back in his SUV and chased after them, police said.
But he struck two cars on the way and ended up in an office complex parking lot on the 2100 block of South Arlington Heights Road. It was there where officers found the man, later identified as a 41-year-old Buffalo Grove resident, dead from suicide, authorities said.
Police said the man was stalking the victim — his ex-girlfriend — in the apartment parking lot after finding out she lived there. She left the relationship six months ago due to multiple instances of domestic violence, authorities said, and the victim told police she feared for her life after the ex-boyfriend said he was intent on killing her and then himself.
Davis credited the 911 operator who took her call, telling her to drive toward the police station with her hazard lights on, and the police officers who responded swiftly to meet them.
“It was a very unfortunate incident that occurred and I'm just happy I was there to help,” she said.
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