Snellville Citizen Survives Brutal Attack
Marlene Taylor, a 53 year old single parent is struggling to resolve all the problems that follow her brutal attack in the shopping area of Hwy 124 and 78 in Snellville. Several weeks ago, on Monday, Aug. 28th, 2000, she had stopped at a Beauty Supply store on the way home from work, and had just purchased some items. As she left the store to enter her Lexus, she was violently struck from behind. She claims, "I was in shock. I thought a vehicle had struck me from behind." Slammed into her car, and then on the ground, Marlene claims she then realized a man was attempting to hurt and disable her, without hesitation. "I fought with him. I clutched my purse." She said, " He jerked me down and started dragging me, and that’s when I let loose." She did not know at that time that her arm had suffered a severe fracture from the initial impact of the attack.
According to Ms. Taylor, the most frustrating part of the whole incident was that the man got away. Ms. Taylor had been severely injured. She had bruises on her wrists where he had tried to remove her bracelet and watch. Because she was dragged on the pavement, she had gravel bits in her mouth, and burns from the pavement. "I’m in a lot of pain with my fractured arm. It’s a serious injury". After the police were called to the scene, Ms. Taylor was treated and released at a nearby hospital.
Two local newspapers recently reported the crime, and stated that two alleged perps had been caught, and had admitted to the crime. From Ms. Taylor’s accounts, it appears an 18 year old male and his 16 year old companion planned the attack. The older male hid behind a cement support block, and pounced on the victim from behind, while the younger companion waited around a corner in a getaway car. Within an hour from the incident, the two males had already used two of Ms. Taylor’s credit cards in stores on Memorial Drive in Dekalb County.
Ms. Taylor claims, " I can’t begin to tell you all the problems this has caused me. The time on the phone with credit card companies, the cell phone being stolen and the aftermath time at the doctor’s office, when I should have been at work. And most of all pain – lots of physical pain and mental trauma. I’m exhausted! Now I also have to go through the legal end of it." Throughout her ordeal, Marlene says her boyfriend, Paul Watts, has been the most helpful in dealing with all the problems that happened because of the crime.
When asked what she would say to the residents of Snellville, Marlene exclaims, "You should get a license to carry a concealed weapon, and if you are a woman, don’t put that weapon in your purse….put it in your pocket, or put it in a jacket pocket, or skirt pocket. Don’t be afraid to use it. If you have a gun, you’ve got to know how to use it. I wish I would have had my gun in my pocket".
According to an article in the Atlanta Newspaper on September 9th, the perpetrators have expressed remorse for the brutal and unprovoked attack against Ms. Taylor. However, neither has come forward to offer assistance with Ms. Taylor’s medical, mental, or financial nightmares. Just how does this remorse thing work?
Wendy Nelson
