Social Media Post Leads Police to Investigate

RIO GRANDE – A local woman posted a story to social media Sept. 20 in which she described being “scared for her safety” while shopping in a Rio Grande retail store. 
Police Chief Christopher Leusner said that police detectives were investigating the incident after being made aware of the post.
The woman, a local teacher, described a series of events in which a man followed her around a store, including into the woman’s dress department. Feeling uneasy, the woman got in line to pay for her purchases only to find the man “right behind me in line.”
The woman asked the cashier to have the security guard walk her to her car and the store complied.
According to the Facebook post, once outside the woman noticed that the man she felt had been stalking her in the store came “walking very fast toward me” until he realized she was being escorted.
At that point the “guy” veered off to a white truck with the engine running saying “something in a different language” to the driver.
The incident in which the woman feared for her safety was not reported to police. They learned about it from the social media post.
Leusner said that when police learned of it, they began an investigation.
The post about the experience in Rio Grande drew a comment from another local woman who cited “a reliable source” that similar incidents had happened at other retailers in the area.
Again, the police are aware of that post as well and have added it to their investigation. Again, there was no report of any such incidents prior to the social media posts.
The two local Facebook posts are accompanied by a video discussing kidnapping and sex trafficking that shows a woman in Florida discussing an incident that did not happen locally.
Regardless of whether or not the male in the store had criminal intentions, the way the woman experienced the incident, the way she saw it and understood it, generated fear on her part, for Leusner that was enough to warrant calling police.
People worry about whether or not an incident justifies a call to police. Leusner said that if an individual feels threatened or unsafe, “We want them to call us.” 
Police would rather “err on the side of caution,” he said.
Speaking about what to do when an individual is concerned about personal safety, Leusner said individuals should retreat to “where people are gathered.”
Leusner said that the woman who made the Facebook post did the right thing in asking to be escorted to her car. Many retailers have security guards, and a shopper concerned about a perceived threat should always feel comfortable asking the store to have a guard accompany them through the parking lot.
The best advice: Do not be distracted by a phone or other device. Be aware of the surroundings and be alert to any perceived threats.
If there is a concern for personal safety, call police or alert store security and seek the protection of places where people are gathered.
To contact Vince Conti, email vconti@cmcherald.com.