Dustin Paxton – The Police ‘GOT HIM’! I Got Him to Fix my iPhone
Have I ever mentioned that I love my iPhone? Well I do, enough to venture into a stranger’s basement suite to get it fixed when Apple tries to rob me of $229 to replace a piece of glass worth less than $5 (I know it’s worth less than $5, because I purchased one from China!), however, I am getting off topic.
Last Friday afternoon after the attempted robbery rip-off at Apple I tweeted:
My good twitter buddy @Antof9 suggested:
Please note the part where she so rightly tells me –> (just make sure “authorized”). I didn’t listen, I never listed, just ask my mom.
Seeing as I had a 1 cm hole in my phone and I wasn’t willing to pay $229, I decided it was a grand idea and Googled –> Edmonton iPhone Repair.
I dialed the first listing that came up –> iEnstein iPhone Solutions. He quoted me $60 and said, I could head right over. I did have a twinge of worry on the way over, he wasn’t “Authorized” like Antof9 had suggested, but then figured, “who the hell cares, it’s $60 and the phone is useless to me right now”. I figured the worst he could do was ruin the phone, and it was already ruined.
I wasn’t sure at this point if it was a residence or a business, but it became obvious as I looked for the address, that it was a residence, a pretty nice home actually … (photo here)
I have to say, that at this point I was a little bit leery, but mostly I was picturing a teenager fixing iPhone screens for spending money (he’d sounded very young on the phone), and went ahead and rang the doorbell.
As I stood on the front step waiting for the door to be answered, the gate to the backyard opened 6 to 8 inches and a man who looked to me to be in his late 20’s early 30’s poked his head around and asked me to come around the back. I went as far as the gate and stopped. I can’t tell you why exactly, but I was uncomfortable. I didn’t want to go around the back of the house with him. It wasn’t the way he looked. He was neat and tidy, sort of handsome. He wore clean, ironed clothing. He was friendly, but it felt wrong.
It’s hard to explain, but he looked like life hadn’t been easy for him, like he was living rough (even though he was clean, neat and polite). I noticed his teeth were quite decayed, it didn’t jive with his clothing and neat haircut.
He may have sensed my hesitation, because he said, “You can come in and watch me fix it, or you can come back in 20-30 minutes.” I was relieved not to go in, and relieved not to have to explain that I was uncomfortable. His landlord came out of the front of the house just as I was leaving. Dustin introduced him and then, Georgia and I left.
We returned about 30 minutes later. The landlord was in the driveway chatting with a neighbour in the next yard. I parked in the driveway, got $60 from my purse and locked Georgia in the car. I wasn’t really worried anymore, but I wanted to get it over with and I still felt like I shouldn’t take Georgia in the house with me. I was happy to see the landlord.
The landlord was chatty, and insisted I go on down (to the basement). I was torn, do I leave the kid in the car, do I bring her in? Just then, a pretty young woman came up out of the basement, wearing a medical scrubs (like a dental assistant or nurse). I recognized her from my dentist’s office. I assumed from their friendly tone (wrongly assumed –> she’s married), that it was his girlfriend, and I totally relaxed and told myself I was being silly. I went down into the basement and watched JP (Dustin Paxton) finish fixing my iPhone. His suite was super neat, very clean and sparse. Even his tools were in neat rows. I noticed that as he used each one, he put it back precisely in it’s row. I remember thinking, that if I were that disciplined my house wouldn’t always look like a hurricane hit it.
He was friendly and smart. We chatted about SEO, and Facebook. I told him I’d recommend him to my facebook friends. He promised to treat them as well as he’d treated me. I chided myself for being so spooked earlier on!
This morning when I took my boy to the dentist, Cathy the pretty dental assistant who was coming out of the basement before me filled me in on our friendly neighbourhood repairman.
Dustin Ward Paxton, 30, was wanted by Calgary police on charges of aggravated assault, forcible confinement and sexual assault for alleged attacks that happened over a 15-month period, starting in December 2008. He was also wanted by Regina police on charges of aggravated assault for alleged attacks that happened between March 15 and April 16 this year.
edmontonjournal.com August 26, 2010
Read more: http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/Alleged+torturer+finally+nabbed/3441096/story.html#ixzz0xqrxWd6r
Before and after pictures of the victim Dustin Lafortune:
I’m horrified that I sat and chatted and laughed with a man who may be responsible for something like this. Then again, I am relieved that I ‘knew’ something was wrong, that my ‘gut instinct’ works. I am determined that from now on, I’ll listen to that ‘gut instinct’ and not battle with myself to silence it.
MK xo
20 Comments
Antof9 · August 27, 2010 at 5:51 pm
I am SO thankful you are ok! And the pretty dental assistant too :)
Kim Becker · August 27, 2010 at 6:06 pm
@Antof9, Thanks! What a creep!
Janice · August 27, 2010 at 6:15 pm
Wow, how scary! Good thing nothing happened while you were there. Definitely listen to that gut instict!
MommyKnows · August 27, 2010 at 6:20 pm
@Janice, Thanks! I often talk myself out of things, because I don’t want to make waves or hurt someones feelings. I have to stop doing that.
Thanks for stopping by. I appreciate it.
peggy-lynn · August 27, 2010 at 6:53 pm
Gut instinct, rational fear, call it what you will, as mother’s we have a sixth sense about people, developed more so, to protect our families.
mommyknows · August 27, 2010 at 7:11 pm
@peggy-lynn, I need to learn to listen to it a bit better.
Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to leave a comment. I appreciate it.
Safire · August 27, 2010 at 8:00 pm
SUPER SUPER SCARY. I am SO glad that you (and Georgia!) are okay. Man…you were protected by that gut!
kim @ mommyknows · August 27, 2010 at 8:39 pm
@Safire, Me too! I’m not sure I was ever in any real danger. I think he was hiding out and laying low. What is really scary is that there are monsters out there masquerading as men!
Janice - The Fitness Cheerleader · August 27, 2010 at 8:15 pm
Wow! What a close one! I’m glad you, Georgia & your iPhone are ok!
kim @ mommyknows · August 27, 2010 at 8:41 pm
@Janice – The Fitness Cheerleader, Thanks Janice! I’m going to be more careful in the future.
mackey · August 28, 2010 at 1:33 am
That is terrifying! What reminder to never ignore our gut instinct. It never stears us wrong.
MommyKnows · August 28, 2010 at 3:33 pm
@mackey, It is sort of terrifying isn’t it? I don’t think I was in much danger, but I don’t like thinking about what he is allegedly capable of.
Thanks for stopping by! I appreciate it.
Melle · August 28, 2010 at 1:05 pm
Oh no! glad you did listen to that instinct dear.
MommyKnows · August 28, 2010 at 3:31 pm
@Melle, Thanks Melle! Also thanks for stopping by and taking the time to leave a comment.
abdominoplasty · August 29, 2010 at 4:16 am
you certainly have a sixth sense, you might be glad that you listened to your gut instinct, that tiny voice in your head.
Mamma3Monkeys · August 30, 2010 at 2:18 pm
That is super scarey! I got goose bumps just reading it! I recently had the glass on my mythic broken (car door + me in a hurry + swinging sweater with phone in pocket) and DH couldn’t find anyone here to repair it, we had to ship it to the manufacturer which cost around $200 because the phone is too new for the local places to have the equipment. I can only imagine if we had searched without using the word “authorized” as well… I am so glad nothing happened!
MommyKnows · August 30, 2010 at 8:44 pm
@Mamma3Monkeys, It sure creeped me out! I probably wasn’t in danger (except for the fact he’s most likely a dangerous man), but I can’t quit thinking about the ugliness that can hide beneathe a regular looking exterior.
Naomi · September 5, 2010 at 2:17 pm
Oh. My. Gosh. I am so glad nothing bad happened to you or Georgia!!!
MommyKnows · September 8, 2010 at 8:31 am
@Naomi, ME TOO!
Lannie Rae · October 17, 2013 at 2:36 am
There are many pretty ugly people out there :/
Glad you are ok! X