Pepper spray is flying off the shelves. It is a clear indication of the fear that has gripped this part of the state.
At The Outlet in Mill Creek, they've sold close to 80 pepper sprays over the past few days. Normally, selling that many takes two or three a week.
The rush started last week with the news that two women had been abducted and raped in the Stanton area.
"Immediately, the word got out, that whole afternoon we were flooded with people," Ruby Koreshi of The Outlet said.
And they're still coming in after two more rapes this week in Wilmington.
Being armed with pepper spray is one thing. Knowing how to use it is another. Police are advising women to check out self defense sites on the internet. Better yet, be alert and don't make yourself an easy target.
"Fiddling through the purse, talking on their cell phone, doing everything, but paying attention to what's going on around them, that is the prime target," Corporal Trinidad Navarro said.
It may be too late by the time you're approached, but hundreds of women are finding extra security in pepper spray canisters.
