Shivangi Sinha
When 19-year-old Jennifer Asbenson accepted a ride from a stranger in 1992, she did not know what would follow. The man who seemed like a helpful stranger quickly turned into her worst nightmare. Jennifer was brutally attacked, and what was even more painful was that there was no way to trace her perpetrator. It was only years later that Andrew Urdiales reportedly confessed to the attack. A&E’s ‘I Survived a Serial Killer,’ especially the episode ‘Desert Demon,’ gives the full account of how everything transpired.
Jennifer Asbenson Was Allegedly Attacked After She Gave a Fake Number to a Stranger
In 1992, 19-year-old Jennifer Asbenson was living in California. After finishing high school, she took a job at a nursing facility for children with disabilities in the Palm Springs area. In September of that year, Jennifer had been late for her night shift for a couple of days. She said that her boss had told her that she might lose her job if it happened again. On September 27, 1992, Jennifer missed her bus again as she went into a store to buy toys for the kids at her facility. She knew it was going to cause her trouble. That was why, when a stranger offered her a ride, she saw it as a solution and did not think much about it. On the way, he asked for her number, but Jennifer gave him a fake one instead.
On September 28, 1992, around 6 am, when Jennifer left her workplace, she found out that the man was waiting for her outside. He offered her another ride. As she did not want to take the bus, she accepted. It was only moments later that he became visibly angry about the wrong number she had given him. According to Jennifer’s account, he allegedly bashed her head into the dashboard and tied her hands with twine. She said that he started driving her farther and farther into the desert. She said that he then allegedly assaulted her. Jennifer said she passed out but woke up to him allegedly shoving her head against the window.
Jennifer added that the man then proceeded to throw Jennifer out of the car and put her in the trunk. She said that right away, she knew that the man had done this before and started praying. She began twisting her wrists, and that was when her hands suddenly came free. Jennifer somehow managed to rip out the carpet and find the lever, which opened when she fumbled with it. She said that her assailant saw that the trunk was open and stopped to close it again. When he started the car back up, it got stuck. Jennifer made the best of the situation, got out, and made a run for it. She said that when she looked back, she allegedly saw the man running behind her with a machete. She said that she managed to flag down another car and was rescued and taken to a hospital.
Jennifer Asbenson Advocates for the Mental Health of Other Survivors Today
Jennifer Asbenson did not know the identity of her attacker in the years that followed. She was diagnosed with PTSD, OCD, ADHD, bipolar disorder, depression, and anxiety and struggled to come to terms with the attack she had faced. It was only in April 1997, when a man named Andrew Urdiales was arrested after being tied to three killings in the Illinois area, that Jennifer learned the identity of her perpetrator. According to a CBS report, Urdiales also confessed to the attack on Jennifer, and police informed her about him.
Since then, Jennifer has gotten involved in advocacy and has helped other survivors by raising mental health and PTSD awareness. In 2016, she decided to go back to the site where she was attacked as a way to face her trauma and confront it. In 2018, shortly after Andrew Urdiales killed himself in a prison cell, Jennifer released her memoir, ‘The Girl in the Treehouse.’ It covers her difficult childhood, the attack she survived, and how she healed from the burdens of the same.
She has repeatedly told her story through various channels, including CBS’ ’48 Hours: The One Who Got Away,’ ‘Dr. Phil’ and ‘People Magazine Investigates.’ Jennifer’s personal life has also been a mix of happy and sad moments. She appears to have married the love of her life and welcomed her daughter, Augusta Summers, with him. However, when Augusta was quite young, her father passed away from liver failure. Jennifer still has a special relationship with her daughter. She also has two dogs, Charlie and Wesley, who are the light in her home. Jennifer herself underwent hip replacement surgery in June 2026, but seems to be getting along well. She still has the zeal that carried her through so much, and it is inspiring to see her living her life on her terms.
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