Woman James Ransone Saved From Assault Remembers His Heroism After His Death

The woman who James Ransone rescued from a potential sexual assault has spoken out following his recent passing.

Molly Watts shared a message on Instagram Tuesday, December 23, identifying herself as the neighbor Ransone assisted in 2006, writing, “I learned yesterday that @jamesransone has died. I typically maintain my privacy, but I want to publicly express how incredibly grateful I am that this man lived, and I’m unsure if my life’s path would have been the same without his intervention.”

Watts described being neighbors with Ransone when they both resided in New York.

“We had a friendly relationship with overlapping social circles. I was attacked at the entrance of our building. I cried out for help. No one responded. My attacker placed his hands around my throat to prevent me from making noise. I couldn’t breathe. I remember the certainty that I was going to die or be raped as I was being choked unconscious,” she wrote. “PJ heard my cries and rushed to my aid. He came running shirtless, holding a bat or pipe – I’m not certain which, as I never saw him in action. He frightened my attacker, who fled. PJ pursued him to the building he ran to. Due to his chase, the police were able to identify him, a known repeat sexual offender.”

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In her post, Watts conveyed her gratitude to Ransone for saving her, adding, “I’m not sure if I would have the same life if he hadn’t come down that night. Even as an adult, I’m uncertain how I would have coped with the potential trauma or how long it would have taken to recover – I was already emotionally vulnerable.”

Watts later discovered details about the alleged abuse Ransone himself experienced.

“What’s particularly painful for me regarding PJ’s death is that he lived with that kind of violence. What I was spared, he endured in a different form, at a young age when there’s little emotional resilience, and the self is still developing. I feel that PJ’s life was shadowed by what happened to him then. This world is often unkind to those who are hurting, vulnerable, or struggling,” she continued. “Over the years, I’ve thought of PJ from time to time. I wanted to contact him to let him know how thankful I was that he ran toward my screams. I didn’t. I regret that.”

Ransone passed away on Friday, December 19, at the age of 46 by suicide. He had previously been open about his past battles with substance abuse, which stemmed from childhood trauma. In 2021, Ransone posted a lengthy email via Instagram that he had sent to his alleged sexual abuser, Timothy Rualo, who was reportedly working at a school in Baltimore County at the time.

The actor recounted the abuse occurring over a six-month period in 1992 at his childhood home. The alleged abuse resulted in a “lifetime of shame and embarrassment” for Ransone. After achieving sobriety in 2006, Ransone recalled feeling “ready to confront” his past.

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Ransone reported the accusations to Baltimore County police in March 2020 but was allegedly informed that prosecutors “were not interested in pursuing the matter further.” The Baltimore County State’s Attorney Office ultimately declined to press charges following the police investigation.

Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger confirmed at the time that his office declined to charge Rualo. A spokesperson for Baltimore County Public Schools, meanwhile, stated that Rualo remained employed by the district, where he had worked since 1992. Rualo could not be reached for comment at the time.

Ransone later described how he “nearly died on several occasions” during the peak of his drug use before getting clean.

“There was a time when I actually stopped breathing and was brought back to life. Then I was arrested a few times. The last time I was arrested, I was released and went home and obtained some heroin and tried to get high, but it didn’t work anymore. That was the most frightening part. Drugs could no longer silence the overwhelming thoughts in my head,” he told The Fix in 2015. “I tried to end my life a couple of times. Addicts are often inept at everything, and I couldn’t even succeed at that.”

He concluded: “I called a friend and I said, ‘I think I’m going to kill myself or go to rehab.’ My friend said, ‘Hey, why don’t you try rehab first.’ That’s what I did, and that was in 2006, and I’ve been clean ever since.”

If you or someone you know is experiencing emotional distress or contemplating suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357)