On September 25, 1969, the eight-year-old Tali Shapiro experienced the most tragic incident of her life. On her way to school, the then UCLA student, Rodney Alcala, offered her a ride, which she initially denied.
But when Rodney mentioned that he knew her parents, she considered trusting what he said. In this regard, she said, “Oh, okay. I mean, I was 7 or 8 years old. I trusted adults.”
Tali further stated that though she didn’t have any urge to accept his offer of car riding, she entered the car as her parents raised her to respect her elders.
But that decision led Tali to face the most traumatic incident. She was later discovered in the kitchen area lying in a pool of her own blood with several deep injuries all over her body.
Rodney molested her and beat her with a steel rod harshly, but she luckily survived. As per People reports, it was due to a sales representative named Donald Haines, who, at the time, sensed something fishy in Rodney’s approach and soon contacted the police.
Tali Shapiro’s parents appeared to have feared following their daughter’s close call
Sometimes, after Tali’s incident, her perpetrator, Rodney Alcala, was on trial for a child molestation charge. During that time, if by any chance Tali had testified against Rodney in court, many wouldn’t have become his victims.
However, her parents became the major obstacle in her path to getting justice. They forbid Tali from testifying against her wrongdoer, and it was probably natural because, in the meantime, she was just a teenager.
Eventually, in 1974, Rodney was released on parole. That resulted in the victimization of several other innocent children and girls.
Later, when Tali reached the stage where she could make a decision on her own, she became a testimony against her culprit and led him behind bars. Rodney Alcala spent his later years in prison until he passed away in 2021.
Additional Information
- Tali Shapiro said that she got over 27 stitches in the back of her head after her abduction incident.
- She survived such a life-threatening incident back then, and she is currently in her 60s, living a content life with her family.
- According to sources, she is now a California resident and is reportedly indulging in the food business.
