I'm a single guy, but if I were married and had kids, I'd INSIST my wife valet park if she HAD to go to the mall. Hmm $5 vs risking getting murdered. Only go to the mall when necessary, not out of habit like a lot of these stay at home parents do to waste time or spend $ on something they don't really need.

You always hear you can't live your life in fear, but you can live your life with caution and common sense. I say, trust your gut instinct. I took a self defense class not because I was scared that I would be attacked one day. I took the class because I wanted to feel more confident and learn how I could protect myself if I were attacked. I learned a lot from that class…like how you can use your keys as a weapon and how you can use your heel to stomp on the attackers foot and break it—those are some sensitive bones. There are also pressure points behind the ears that can help enable an attacker. One of the greatest things I learned was how to flick and turn my wrist to get out of a firm grasp (if someone is grabbing your arm). I have used this technique many times…although not with an attacker. I say, take the self defense class. You will learn a lot and it is surprisingly fun. The most important thing they teach you is that you should never have a false sense of security. I also shop at Town Center and park in the Sears parking lot most of the time. I try to park close and I rarely go at night without a buddy.

Not only is this the mall I normally go to when I need something and don't want too drive far, the incidents were also at the entrances that I use most frequently. And then there was the Three Amigos robbery 2 weeks earlier that ended in nearly the same area but just a few miles west. I know that crime is everywhere and it really can't be avoided, but I'm to the point of wanting out of Dodge. It's rather unnerving!

I guess it would be just to go when I absolutely, positively have to go and try to have my husband with me if possible.

Someone in Boca should hire the best plaintiff's class action law suit in the Country. Simon Property a $60 billion company should be legally be brought to it's knees. Everyone who frquents the Town Center Mall is now suffering mental anguish emanating from Simon's RECKLESS DISREGARD for human life. This company should be put OUT OF BUSINESS and its assets fully distributed to the citizens of Boca and any other city where Simon's CRIMINAL behavior has caused harm.

I think it's more when it's your time its your time. I thank God have never been carjacked, mugged, or anything and I too frequent malls and shopping centers late at night. I am a single parent of one daughter who is 23 and now a son who is 5. I do though pay attention to my surroundings and try to be quick getting in and out of my car late at night. I will lock me and my son in the car before I strap him in his car seat if it's late at night. This way the door is not open and I'm vulnerable.

I take no chances when out alone or with my child. I do exactly as we are told, look all around you. Be aware of a car running and sitting in a space etc. Paranoia will do that but I ain't going down without a fight!! They have the wrong girl in ind if they pick me.

I don’t feel safe any more going to the mall nether and is a shame that after all these incidents the mall owners, have not take any action to improve the security of the mall. I hope that the family of the lady that was kills take legal action against the mall, this is the only way things change in America, after a million dollar lawsuit. Is a shame that after the incidents at the mall in March and August, the mall management did not increase the security measurements and this sensitive information was hiding from the public eye, in which kind of society we live on? where the monetary interest are more important than the life of a young mother and her little daughter.

The sad thing is with holding the panic button on your car key is that no one really ever pays attention to it....they say you have a better chance at saying "fire, fire"

If we cower in our homes, afraid to go to the malls, movies, restaurants, and other things we enjoy...then the criminals and terrorists win. They have succeeded in stealing the joy from our lives. Yes, there is danger everywhere, that is the nature of life. Be smart, keep your eyes open, don't take chances, but enjoy your life!

Boca Town Center has a history of criminal activity on its premises that has been going on for years. There have been lawsuits filed in the past although, they have probably been settled quietly. The security has been a joke, guards with walkie talkies do not cut it. I agree that the mall owners should be held accountable. The best way to hold them accountable is to not shop there, but that will never happen in a big enough way to make a difference.

I just wonder what would have happened if this poor woman had been armed?

I’m reading the comments about safety in the mall and not agree that you need to take karate classes to defend yourself or that people must be aware of the surroundings excuse me but the town center parking lot is not public is private, so for that reason is the mall ownership obligation of make sure is safe for the costumers that frequents the different department stores. We should go out to protest in front of the mall, because the big corporations don’t want to invest in our safety, they want just our money, but they don’t give anything back. The corporations like “Simon” have a lot of money that have gain thanks to costumers like you like me. It is time to stand up and ask them to give back to the community, because without costumers they would be out of business tomorrow. What happened with the stores like sears, or Macys, Nordstrom, boomingdales they haven speak at all, keeping a low profile with this issue because it would hurt their sales, it is the only thing they care about, what about caring for the community they profit from?

Almost every time there's a murder, armed robber or assault in this area, it's a young black perpetrator.

Let's cut the political correctness crap and face the facts.

To answer the question often asked by civil rights leaders and preachers as to why there a disproportionate number of young black men in prison --- well, it looks like they're the ones doing the crime.

This is scary: too many young black and hispanic males drop out of school. They have no skills so they can't get a job. They hang out trying to make a few bucks selling weed. Others, rob, steal, assault and kill. Then they go to jail and everyone wonders why our prisons are filled with young black men.

Those smarter than me should focus on this issue or else we're going to be terrorized by bands of roving young marauders.

I live in Utah and will be coming to Boca Raton in January for 6 weeks. I will be going to this mall with my 76 year old mother quite often. I have arthritis and am not very strong, but I would be interested in taking the self defense class. Would the writer please let me know where it is. realtoreen@qwest.net
Thanks

I work across the street and visit the mall from time to time. I have usually valet parked in UpFront ($3) or parked very close to the front in a good spot. I have never felt not safe. I like when a lot of people are around just in case though.

No offense, but if someone puts a gun to your head how is taking a self defense class going to help? Pay the money or skip the mall.

Most self-defense classes are just a day class, a few hours. It isn't like you are training weeks on end for a black belt or anything. Self-defense is all about using your smarts — not your fists. It teaches everything--mostly on how to get away from an attacker--not fighting your attacker. How can you scoff at something like that?

I am not scoffing. My teenage daughters have both taken self-defense classes. I am just being realistic. Avoiding a potentially bad situation is much better than trying to escape one. By using the valet parking Ms. Solomon can avoid.
The tragedy at the mall looks like the work of a sociopath, not some teenagers stealing money that maybe you could fight off.

Self-Defense class also teaches you how to avoid potentially dangerous situations and what to look for, etc... Most malls don't have valet parking and this type of crime isn't limited to a mall. It can happen anywhere. I just don't see any negatives on taking a self-defense class. Whether it be a sociopath or a teenager, there are ways to protect yourself.

I was at Town Center a few days after the murder and I didn't see much change in security aside from a few police officers walking around .

I have been going to Town Center for years and I'm appalled at this horrific scenerio. Maybe a week or so before this murder I was at the mall and saw a security guard talking to a black man near Ben & Jerrys and that sunglasses store near American Eagle. And (I'm assuming it was an undercover police officer) a man was talking to this black woman in the Saks parking lot. He was telling her to go back inside. This makes me think they really need more security because they were most likely stealing sunglasses or something like that.

Nancy was my dear dear friend. I will never recover from what happened to her. Not only should her family sue the pants off of Simon, but they should provide free and adequate valet parking for all, all the time and screw them. My friend and her daughter are dead due to their negligence

Why does the skin color of the perp matter? If it was serial killer it would be a white male in his 30's living at home with mommy. If it were a child molester same demographic: white male in his 30's living at home with mommy. Who cares the skin color? Stop dwelling on things we cannot change like the color of someone's skin and start dwelling on preventing crime like PUTTING UP MORE CAMERAS! By the way the majority of black men are in jail for drug crimes..you know that rule about more crack can give you a life sentence than a less amount of cocaine? That rule is about to be changed and well more black men in the streets. Then jail will be really be reflective of who is committing crimes, white collar or not..no pun intended.

I say it is about time the hysteria about black men stops and everyone keep it real. EVERYONE no matter what they look like is suspect! If I see a white man walking towards me on the sidewalk, if he looks unkempt, clean cut whatever...I move out of the way. He could be in a 3 piece suit and turn around and snatch me by the neck and try to rape me. And women commit crimes too! So do children.

STOP THE RACIST HYSTERIA!

You do not HAVE to pay to valet park, but isn't your life worth the $5? You do it for safety purposes, the heck with principles. I'm sure that Nancy would have paid that and much more had she known a murderer was in her midst. I was glad to read that her family has initiated a lawsuit. Shame on the Boca PD for not warning the public about the incident last summer.

I am so horrified about what happen in all 3 cases. Yes 3 and all in broad DAYLIGHT. No one knew about the other 2 and the others in Mizner. We should of have been WARNED of the first incident!! I blame The Mayor of Boca, the Boca Police Dept and of course the Mall for not warning our community!!! Shame on you for NOT!!! I am soooo mad that a COWARD could target mothers with children! I hope they find this BASTARD!!!!!! I have never been back to the mall and wont plan on going back too many bad memories!! Cameras should have been put up in the parking lots and all over the area years ago. It had to take a murder to put up the stupid cameras!!! If they were cameras out you could have had the murderer on video! We need the word out about the killer! We need to find him!

HI I am Angela Williams President and Founder of Mothers Against Murderers Association and my heart goes out to the Victims family this office MAMA will keep you in our prayers beacuse we know first hand what it like to lose a love one to violence I now have a total of fifty mothers in this organization that have lost a lost a love one to violence. in Palm Beach County