AREAWIDE : Shoppers Keep Sharper Eyes Out for Danger : Crime: The recent string of kidnapings and killings has made residents uneasy. Crime prevention workers offer tips on minimizing risks.

The man who was following her through the shopping mall parking lot was “sort of scruffy looking,” Wynona Gordon recalled.

But the 55-year-old Diamond Bar woman used her head.

“I made a quick turn toward two people I’d never seen before and started talking to them,” she said.

The man walked on.

It’s the sort of experience that strikes fear in shoppers, especially now. With the abductions and murders of two women from the Puente Hills Mall and the kidnaping and killing of a West Covina man as he headed for an automatic teller machine, many San Gabriel Valley residents have become uneasy, police say.

“We’ve gotten quite a few calls, mostly from single women, widows and divorcees, asking what to do,” said Sharon Williams, a West Covina crime prevention officer. “They want to feel a little more in control.”

Information was also released this week about a fourth murder victim, Jose Avina, 22, of Norwalk, possibly linked to the other three. He was killed by a shotgun blast after his truck was rammed by assailants while stopped at a Monrovia intersection.

Five suspects are in custody.

The developments in the series of murders are occurring at the same time that a similar, 3-year-old mall kidnap and murder trial ended in Pasadena Superior Court. Last week, George Trone, 21, was found guilty of the Aug. 18, 1988, sexual assault and shooting of Lois Haro, 26, a Pasadena woman abducted from the Plaza Pasadena where she had gone to buy a baby shower gift. A jury is debating whether Trone should be sentenced to death.

All of this has made San Gabriel Valley residents aware of just how easy it is to become yet another crime statistic.

But crime prevention officers say measures can be taken to lessen the chances of that. No. 1, officers say, is to be aware--whether in a shopping mall or approaching an automated teller machine.

“Be alert, be aware of your surroundings, look around you,” said Donna Bonte, a Pomona Police Department crime prevention officer.

Assailants rely on the element of surprise, and they can be put off by someone who looks them in the eye, Williams said.

The message conveyed is: “I can see you. I can describe you,” she said. “Even a simple ‘hello’ is enough to throw them off.”

The second major tip is to rely on your instincts, Williams and Bonte agreed.

“If you get that icky feeling, go with that feeling,” Bonte said. “That’s your senses telling you something’s not right.”

Motorists who believe they are being tailed by another driver can avoid becoming victimized by driving to a fire or police station, or stopping outside an open business and honking the horn for assistance, Williams said.

“Don’t drive home,” she said.

When using automatic teller machines, a number of personal safety measures should be observed, law enforcement officers agree. They include:

Use the machine only during daylight hours. If cash must be withdrawn after dark, use the buddy system, or use machines located inside grocery and convenience stores.

Observe cars parked nearby, or individuals loitering. Drive around the block to see if anyone is lurking.

Avoid automatic teller machines in isolated areas. Use those in crowded areas.

“Crowds tend to scare criminals away,” Williams said. “If there’s too many people around that’s too many witnesses.”

Tips for mall safety include:

Avoid carrying large amounts of cash. Use traveler’s checks instead.

“If people see that you have a large amount of money, they just might start watching you from then on,” Bonte said.

Let your family members and even co-workers know where you are going.

“If you have an answering machine, put it on there or leave notes,” Bonte said.

Avoid isolated areas at the malls. Use the main entrance and the busiest doorways.

“There’s safety in numbers, that’s what it comes down to,” Williams said.

Take someone with you to the mall.

Carry a whistle, pocket siren or other device with you in case of trouble.

Avoid carrying a purse. Use waist-hugging athletic pouches instead.

Park away from bushes or shrubbery that can hide assailants. Park in well-lighted areas only. Have your keys ready when you enter the parking lot to leave.

If you are physically assaulted, officers suggest a variety of responses:

“Recite something from the Bible, say a prayer, or say you’ve got AIDS,” Bonte said. “A lot of times that turns them off.”

Use the weapons in your purse, such as a nail file, heavy key chain or comb. Aim for sensitive body parts such as the bridge of the nose or the throat.

Elderly people should stand next to a pole or fence so that if they lose their balance, they can grab hold of something and not fall to the ground.

Women should hand over their purses readily.

“We’ve had some women who try to hang on to their purse, and they’ve gotten a dislocated shoulder and broken hips,” Williams said.

But purses can be handed over upside down to spill out the contents.

Although the suggestions may seem, to some, like an overreaction, Williams and Bonte said many crime victims call them and gratefully follow the suggestions--after they have been victimized.

“We’re in difficult times--the economy, people have lost their jobs, they’re addicted to drugs,” Bonte said. “People who are desperate will do anything.”