Nearly three decades have passed sinceJennifer Asbensonescaped the clutches of a serial killer after a harrowing encounter in his car, but the trauma remains fresh in her mind.
Asbenson still feels a sense of dread around new people. A large crowd can send her into a panic and a man’s loud voice can debilitate her.
Asbenson’s nightmare began when she missed her bus to her job at a home for girls with disabilities. The 19-year-old was in a panic about being late when Urdiales offered her a ride. She initially hesitated, but accepted.
Urdiales drove her to work and invited her to have breakfast with him the following morning, but she was uninterested so she gave him a fake number. Still, when her shift ended, he was waiting for her in his car outside and offered her a ride home, which she accepted.
What followed was a night of terror that haunted her for decades and is the focus of the upcoming episode ofPeople Magazine Investigates, “Monster in the Desert,” which airs tonight at 10 p.m. ET on Investigation Discovery. (An exclusive clip is shown above.)
Ryan Pfluger
During that ride, Urdiales exploded into anger over the fake telephone number Asbenson had given him, wrapping her hands with twine and driving her to a remote desert spot, where he attempted to sexually assault her.
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At one point, he shoved her inside his trunk before driving. She was able to get her hands free and unlatch the trunk, and when the car stopped she jumped out. She flagged down passing motorists, who helped her call police.
Andrew Urdiales.AP/REX/Shutterstock
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Even though Asbenson survived, her ordeal wasn’t over. For years, she was terrified that Urdiales would return to finish her off. She even began doubting that the attack occurred. She credits the birth of her daughter Geo in 1996 with helping her turn her life around.
“I had to forgive myself” for getting in the car with him, she tells PEOPLE.
Asbenson, now 45, says telling her story — her book,The Girl in the Treehouse: A Memoiris out now — has helped her heal.
“He’s nobody that will ever have a hold of my emotions again,” she says.
People Magazine Investigates: Monster in the Desertairs tonight at 10 p.m. ET on Investigation Discovery.
source: people.com
