A man was arrested outside a California convenience store after a woman used a hand signal to alert someone that she was in danger and needed help.
The incident occurred at a 7-Eleven in Alhambra, about 9 miles northeast of Los Angeles. The suspect, John Palombi, 38, of Glendale, is being held without bail on domestic violence charges, NBC Los Angeles reported.
Alhambra police said officers responded to a call at the store and determined that a domestic violence incident had occurred between a man and the victim.
The woman, who was not named, used a hand signal to discreetly ask for help, police said. The signal, which was created by the Canadian Women’s Foundation, involves tucking the thumb under the four fingers.
"Someone recognized what she was doing and called us to respond," Alhambra police said in Facebook, sharing body-camera video from the incident.
The body-camera video shows Palombi trying to flee the parking lot when officers ask him to stand for a pat-down. Officers caught up to Palombi and took him into custody.
Authorities said Palombi, who was the subject if an active warrant, had a stun gun on him.
Shamsher Singh, who works at the 7-Eleven, told NBC Los Angeles that his colleague did the right thing by calling the police.
"He did a great job because she needed help," he said. "He made a good call."