Amarillo mother escapes attacker using car keys

Photo: Facebook/Jessica Collins Jessica Collins was attacked at her apartment complex, but her...

A young mother was attacked at her Amarillo apartment complex, but quick thinking saved her life.

Jessica Collins, a mother of six children, was walking to her car to get her phone charger about 2:30 a.m. Friday, when she says a man approached her and punched her in the nose.

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With her keys in between her knuckles, she punched the man in his neck and he ran away.

Collins took to social media to discuss the incident and explained that she hopes to inspire women to fight back. She said she learned the car-key tactic from a women's self-defense documentary.

"I am just trying to raise awareness so many women and girls these days don't pay attention or think until it's too late. So I'm not only trying to inform people but maybe even save lives," she said.

She advises women to be vigilant and prepared in public:

Especially when everything happens so fast. I realized I left my phone charger in my car. So I (unlocked) my car and grab the cord and then step back (to shut the door) when a Hispanic male punched me in the nose. Thankfully I had my keys in a defense position because I gave him a right hook and ended up getting him in the neck then he ran away (holding his neck) and I ran the other way into my apt (sic) building and got inside my apt (sic) then called the police.

Collins said she filed a police report following the incident. The suspect has not been identified.

"Please be careful out there. He's is still out there somewhere and I know there are probably others like this," she said.

As of Monday morning, Collins' Facebook post has been shared more than 68,000 times.

See her story above.