Antoinette Cook; A Hero In Every Mom Story
Antonio Washington-Cook, today at age 8After a tense carjacking, moms Antoinette Cook and Lisa Jones used the cell phone as a support system to fight back abduction. It was the education information from the VSP Foundation, one of the many community organizations in the Pennsylvania state, founded in 1980, concerned about equal treatment therein public safety that Cook used to escape harm from an intoxicated criminal.
The VSP Foundation, VSP meaning Van Stone Productions, admonished potential carjack-victims to consider themselves on the front lines of war if and when violence occurred while using your vehicle. In war most soldiers have some kind of phone communication to alert base when danger is insomuch that your plans must be canceled. The VSP's information’ educated readers that cell phone and local police communication works just that way too. Cook, Jones and brave little 4 year-old Antonio Washington, -Cook’s only child, who was sitting in the back seat wide awake- plans were canceled.
Moments after Lisa had moved into the far driving lane nearest to the shoulder, next to the drive through window at the McDonald’s located at 56th and Vine Streets, in West Philly they faced a crime being committed. He opened the unlocked rear passenger door. The thug jumped in the back seat. The creepy criminal also appeared to have a gun. The carjacking and robbery began. “Why don’t you just let us stop the car, you take what you have, and let us drop you off? You see the baby,” said Cook while easing out her cell phone and dialing 911 all the same.
Both the 19th and 16th Police District was by now tracking the cell phone. The mom’s and child were at least 7 miles from where the attempted kidnapping began. Stopped at a light, the carjacker opened the door so comfortably then fled on foot. He had gotten away, for now. Out of the mouth of babes. Although Cook and Jones were sure about the looks of the nutso criminal, it was the 4 year-old that would ID the carjacker to the police. Seeing mug shots at the police station, “there he is,” said Antonio while pointing at the photo showed to his mom. Thanks to the involvement of the Phila. Police Dept., the Phila. Police Clergy, Antoinette Cook’s pubic safety skills, and Lisa Jones forthcoming witness to the crime the carjacker creep was caught, arraigned, faced a trial, and sentenced. Mom educating little Mr. Washington in safety went a long way too.
