Is this gesture a silent cry for help? Police say hand signals can show distress.

Editor's note: This story contains mentions of possible domestic violence. Those facing domestic abuse can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or visit its website for a virtual chat.

Can a hand signal save a life?

Police in one Southern California community said they arrested a man suspected of domestic violence after the person he was with used a hand gesture popularized on social media to signal for help at a 7-Eleven store on Aug. 19.

The Alhambra Police Department said in an Aug. 31 social media post that officers were responding to a 911 call "regarding suspicious circumstances" in Alhambra, about 10 miles east of downtown Los Angeles.

So what did the person do to alert bystanders? The news highlights a movement to popularize a gesture to signal distress to passersby.

(USA TODAY contacted the Alhambra Police Department about what signal was used in this case.)

A signal for help, discreetly done

The Toronto-based Canadian Women's Foundation is credited with creating a popular signal in 2020.

It includes placing one's thumb in the palm of the hand, then closing the fingers around it. The signal can be done behind the back so an abuser or trafficker can't see it, but people around a victim can.

"It’s a simple one-handed gesture someone can use, without leaving a digital trace, to communicate they need someone to safely check in and support them," the group says on its website.

Crystal Justice, chief external affairs officer for the National Domestic Abuse Hotline, said the hand signal is one of several efforts over the years to enable victims of violence to discreetly signal that they need help. Others include signage in public restrooms and a specific order at a bar to alert the bartender to a problem.

The hotline "hears from thousands of people every day in this country who are experiencing relationship abuse," said Justice. Domestic violence is a "very complex issue, and there are many barriers to victims and survivors in accessing help."

One of the biggest barriers, she added, is that abusers often isolate and surveil their victims, cutting them off from friends and family, reading their texts, tracking their movements, monitoring their activities. Any time away from an abuser is an opportunity to reach out for help.

What to do if you see someone making the gesture

Safety — for the person who sees the gesture as well as the person making it — is the top priority. The Canadian Women's Foundation offers these tips for what to do if you see someone signaling for help:

• Reach out to the person safely.
• Be supportive, acknowledging their experience, listening and letting them tell you what they need.
• Refer them to services or resources that offer help for people in their situation.
• If there appears to be any immediate danger, call 911 right away.

The organization also offers a downloadable guide with more information and ways to help and support people experiencing domestic or gender-based violence, as well as an online mini-course for responders.

The National Domestic Violence Hotline's Justice said potential helpers should take into consideration whether they know the victim, and if so, they should ask them how they want to help: periodic check-ins, meetings in secure third spaces, calling the police or simply being available in an emergency. "It's best to ask how they want to be helped, in consideration of your safety and theirs," said Justice.

When a stranger indicates they're in danger, she said, if you are able to, discreetly whisper to them if they need help, or contact police or someone else who might be able to help, like a store manager or security guard.

She also noted that, as more attention is brought to covert ways to ask for help, abusers might also become aware of the signals. That can heighten the danger to the victim if the abuser discovers the signal, as well as to anyone who might try to intervene.

What happened in California? Has it happened before?

The Alhambra Police Department wrote on the post, which depicted an officer's body camera footage, that an investigation found "a domestic violence incident had occurred, and the victim was asking for help using hand signals behind her back."

A person recognized the signal and called police. When they tried to pat down the suspect, police said he initially tried to flee but was caught in the parking lot. Police said they found the man had an active warrant and was in possession of a stun gun.

In 2021, a 16-year-old girl who'd been missing for days used the gesture to signal to a motorist that she needed help. She was rescued after using the signal, which she'd seen on TikTok.

A Tennessee man was charged in 2022 with aggravated kidnapping and aggravated domestic assault when his ex-girlfriend used the signal to alert staff at a gas station; the Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported that the man had threatened her and drove recklessly before stopping for gas.

(This story has been updated to add new information and to change or add a photo or video.)

Contributing: Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY