‘You Know You Can’t Be Around Here’: Texas Woman Plays Pokémon Go. Then She Runs Into A Murderer

It was supposed to be just another night of Pokémon Go. Instead, a woman says trusting her gut may have saved her life when a campus security guard pulled her over and tried to lure her out of her car.

In her viral TikTok video, Alexandra (@takidaddi) explains how the encounter later tied back to a murder case that rocked her town.

Woman Tells Terrifying Story Of How She Escaped Danger

In the storytime clip, Alexandra recounted an event from high school that she believes could have had a very different outcome had she not listened to her gut feeling. Her video has over 4 million views.

She says a friend came over one weekend and suggested they play Pokémon Go. “We were out there for a few hours,” she explained, saying they even stopped for Dutch Bros before driving through their community college campus to catch more Pokémon.

That’s when she noticed lights in her rearview mirror of what looked like campus security, so she pulled over.

“The guy comes up to my window, and he’s like, ‘Hey, ladies.’ What are you guys doing?” Alexandra recalled. She explained they were just driving around for Pokémon Go. “’I’m driving. I’m not on my phone. … She’s doing the Pokémon part. I’m doing the driving,’” she recalls telling him.

That’s when he told them they weren’t allowed on campus after 10pm. “I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I had no idea. I’m so sorry. I just live in the area. I’m not a student on campus, so I didn’t know these rules,’” she said.

The Moment Her Instinct Kicked In

Instead of saying goodbye, however, the man then brought up the game. “’You guys said you were doing Pokémon?'” he told them. “‘I’ve heard there’s a really good one to catch up by the gymnasium.’”

Alexandra says she immediately felt off and told him they’d come back another time, but he pressed. “Probably won’t be there,” she recalls him saying. “I can show you really quick before you guys leave campus.” However, he told them they’d need to park their car and walk there instead of driving.

That’s the moment that did it for her. “Immediately chills down my spine,” she said. “Why do you want me out of my car?” Alexandra told him she had a curfew and needed to head home, and he thankfully let them go.

The News Breaks Days Later

A week later, Alexandra turned on the news and was shocked to see the campus security man’s face as a murder suspect. “’That is the guy,’” she told her mom.

Months later, she said Dateline also covered the case and revealed the chilling fact that the security guard, Edwin Lara, had been targeting young blond women. “My profile matched exactly what he was looking for,” Alexandra said. “I have never felt sicker to my stomach, but I am so grateful I listened to my intuition.”

Kaylee’s Law

The victim, Kaylee Sawyer, was kidnapped and murdered after accepting a ride from Lara, who was on duty as a campus security officer.

Sawyer’s family said in a federal lawsuit that she trusted Lara because he looked like a police officer. But once inside his patrol car, she found herself trapped behind doors that wouldn’t open.

Since Sawyer’s death, Oregon passed Kaylee’s Law, legislation that requires stricter background checks for campus safety officers and new equipment standards, like GPS tracking and in-car cameras. The law also clarifies that private campus security officers do not have stop-and-frisk authority.

Looking back, Alexandra said she’s thankful she trusted her instincts. “Always listen to yourself,” she urged. “People can make you feel silly for reporting things or leaving situations, but better safe than sorry. Always.”

Violence Against Women Isn’t A Distant Problem

According to Sanctuary for Families, people often frame femicide as something that only happens in poorer countries.

In reality, a study of 25 high-income nations found that 70% of female homicide cases occurred in the U.S. The same research placed the U.S. 34th globally for intentional killings of women, with a rate of 2.6 per 100,000.

Moreover, the organization says trans women and women of color are more likely to become victimized than their white counterparts.

Viewers Get Emotional

Commenters under Alexandra’s video were shaken by her story.

“GirlDad here: Thank God you trusted your intuition,” one person wrote. “Lawyer here: I hope you told your story to the police.”

“Ladies: You don’t have to make excuses. “No” is a whole sentence!” another added.

“Yes! I got a flat tire on the way to an exam when I was In college. A guy with a fireman license plate helped me change it then told me he could get me a good tire from his store, but he had to close the shop down, so it looks like it’s an abandoned business and it’s also behind his house down the road,” another user shared. “I told him I would follow him so he would be at ease, and then I took off the opposite way. I parked behind my house until I moved.”

BroBible has reached out to Alexandra via email for more information.