“She Mouthed ‘Help’ To Me,” Says Hero Gas Station Clerk Who Rushed To Save Teen

April 15, 2026

A quick-thinking gas station clerk is being hailed as a hero after his actions helped bring a teenage girl to safety in a frightening situation.

Abdulrahman Abohatem / Credit: WXYZ News

It happened early in the morning at a gas station in Detroit, when clerk Abdulrahman Abohatem noticed something didn’t feel right as a man and a teenage girl approached the counter.

In a quiet but powerful moment, the girl mouthed the word “help” and Abohatem didn’t hesitate.

“When he ask her to pay for the cigarettes, I stop and go there’s something wrong,” Abohatem said. “And she mouthed… ‘help.’”

Trusting his instincts, he immediately stepped in.

Abohatem came out from behind the counter, positioned himself between the two, and calmly but firmly guided the girl to safety.

“I go out, I kick him out, I ask the girl go behind me,” he said.

As he escorted the man out of the store, police arrived on the scene. Abohatem quickly pointed him out, helping officers take him into custody within moments.

Thanks to his courage and awareness, the girl is now safe at home with her family.

“The gas station employee is a real-life hero,” one commenter wrote.

“He saved her life — hero!!!” another added.