Domestic violence suspect arrested after woman used hand signals for help, authorities say Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY September 4, 2025 at 12:34 AM 0 Editor's note: This story contains mentions of possible domestic violence.
- - Domestic violence suspect arrested after woman used hand signals for help, authorities say
Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY September 4, 2025 at 12:34 AM
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Editor's note: This story contains mentions of possible domestic violence. Those facing domestic abuse can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or visit its website for a virtual chat.
A domestic violence suspect was arrested after his victim used a social media-driven hand gesture asking for help at a 7-Eleven store in Southern California, authorities said.
Officers responded to a 911 call "regarding suspicious circumstances" at a 7-Eleven store in Alhambra, California, a city about 10 miles east of downtown Los Angeles, the Alhambra Police Department said in a social media post on Aug. 31. Online inmate records indicate the incident occurred on Aug. 19.
Further investigation revealed that there had been a domestic violence incident, and the female victim was asking for help by using hand signals behind her back, according to police. The suspect, identified as John Palombi, 38, of Glendora, California, was captured on an officer's body camera attempting to flee the scene after police asked to speak to him and the victim outside the store.
The body camera footage showed police asking Palombi to stand up for a pat down, when he then discarded his Big Bite box and plastic bags and sprinted away from the officers. Palombi was immediately caught and arrested.
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"Someone recognized what she was doing and called us to respond," police said in the social media post. "When asked to stand up for a pat down, the suspect attempted to flee but didn't even make it out of the parking lot."
Palombi, who was carrying a stun gun at the time of the incident and also had an active warrant, was booked into the Alhambra Police Department jail, police said. Online inmate records showed that Palombi is currently being held without bail at the Men's Central Jail in downtown Los Angeles and is scheduled to appear in court on Sept. 11.
Hand gesture used to signal distress popularized on TikTok
The Canadian Women's Foundation, a non-profit organization that focuses on gender justice and equality, helped launch the "Signal for Help" campaign in April 2020. The initiative, according to the foundation, is a "simple one-handed gesture someone can use, without leaving a digital trace, to communicate they need someone to safely check in and support them."
The hand signal has been popularized on social media platforms, such as TikTok, and demonstrated by users and non-profit organizations as a way for a person in distress or experiencing domestic violence to tell someone they are in trouble without alerting the abuser.
The Canadian Women's Foundation says an international, universal signal for help in a case of domestic violence or other distress can be made with one hand — by facing your palm forward with your thumb tucked in, and closing your other fingers over your thumb to "trap" it.
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The sign does not necessarily mean you must call authorities immediately, the organization notes, but rather it indicates, "reach out to me safely." People are advised to use the hand signal discreetly on web cameras or in other situations when they cannot freely speak about a dangerous situation or call for help.
The incident in Alhambra, California, is the latest case in recent years involving the hand signal. In 2021, a 16-year-old girl who had been missing for several days was rescued after using the hand gestures to signal to another driver she was in distress.
And in 2022, a man in Tennessee was charged with aggravated kidnapping and aggravated domestic assault after his ex-girlfriend used the signal to notify gas station staff, the Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported.
Home isolation can increase the risk of violence. If this is the case for you, use this signal on a video call to ask for help. If someone gives you this signal, visit https://t.co/5fr6MRuKh2 to learn how to check in safely and find support resources. #SignalForHelp #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/IceauYbXCx
— Canadian Women's Foundation (@cdnwomenfdn) April 14, 2020
Contributing: Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY; Chris Gadd, Nashville Tennessean; Reuters
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Domestic violence victim used hand signals for help at 7-Eleven store
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