Rose Kalemba was 14 years old when she says she was taken at knifepoint and sexually assaulted. But she went public with the story on Monday when she sat down for an interview with CBS This Morning in an effort to get authorities to take action.
What happened when Rose Kalemba was taken at knifepoint
When she refused to hand over either object, one of the men pulled out a knife and took her hostage. According to investigators, the suspects fled the scene in an unknown direction after taking Kalemba with them; she was later able to free herself and call for help.
The ordeal left Kalemba shaken and scared, but thankfully she wasn’t injured during the robbery. In a statement released shortly after the attack, Kalemba called on her fellow citizens to stand up against crime: “I know that this isn’t just my experience or story – it’s happening all over our city and country… We need to come together as a community and fight back against these types of crimes.”
How long did it take for her to be found?
Rose managed to escape her assailants and contact authorities, who were able to track down and apprehend them within a few days. According to Rose, it took law enforcement approximately two weeks to find her as they had no suspect information available at the time. Thankfully, Rose’s quick thinking and actions allowed for a quick resolution and she is now back home safe and sound.
Summary of the assailant and the crime
When Rose Kalemba woke up on December 3rd after a long night of partying, she didn’t expect to be the victim of a vicious crime. She was sitting in her car outside her home in Keizer, Oregon when a man walked up to her and took her at knife point. According to police reports, the assailant demanded that Kalemba drive him to an undisclosed location. Once there, he stabbed her twice in the arm before fleeing the scene. Kalemba was able to provide a detailed description of her attacker, as well as his vehicle.
Kalemba is now recovering from her injuries at a local hospital. “I’m just really scared,” she said in a press conference earlier this month. “I don’t want it to happen to somebody else.” If you have any information about this crime, please call the crime line at 1-800-TIPS-U-S (1-800-847-8477).
Has she learned anything from this experience?
She recalls the moment when four men pulled up in a car and demanded her wallet and phone. When she refused to comply, one of the men pulled out a knife and threatened to kill her if she didn’t give them what they wanted. Now, almost a year later, she’s speaking out about her experience to raise awareness about the dangers of walking around without proper security precautions. “I just want people to be aware that it can happen to anyone,” Rose said. “Just because you’re not in a high-crime area doesn’t mean you’re immune from this kind of thing.”
