A Cautionary Tale from the Marion Mom

I’m ready to talk about what happened at Walmart in West Memphis a few days ago as a means of warning.

Although I never felt a danger rush of adrenaline, I have had nightmares since then about this incident.

When I parked around 11am, I was approached by a young woman with a small boy. She asked for money in broken English and pointed to her sign to fill in the blanks.

The sign said she had 7 kids, and I thought, well that’s why you’re broke!

She watched me retrieve Baby Girl from the vehicle as she was walking away. An eye witness said she saw this lady going back to a white van with sheets over the windows and giving the money to someone in the van.

I carried Baby Girl inside, intending to place her in the cart when we got one, but she insisted on walking. “I always walk, Mama!” she told me. I noticed almost immediately a man standing at the front of the produce section near the door because the flashlight on his phone was on, and I thought that was comical. I considered telling him, but didn’t. I guess I wasn’t feeling social. I now believe he was recording or facetiming me

See CAUTION, page A2

Dorothy Wilson The Marion Mom CAUTION

From page A1

with the light accidentally on.

Nothing about the appearance of the man gave me pause. He was a tall thin white man of Eastern European descent, based on his features, with a bent nose and large teeth. He had shoulder-length brown hair and a beard of the same color. He did not have a cart or products with him. Just his phone in his hand, at his waist.

However, as we moved through the produce section, Baby Girl walking ahead of me slightly to pick out her favorite iced cookies, the man started to hover. I purposely put space between us and him, and he would slink off for a moment but be on my shoulder the next. So close I could feel his breath. Not shopping—just holding that dang phone in such a way that I was certain he was recording us. I wasn’t wearing a purse, the only valuable thing I had to snatch was my baby girl. ?? The whole incident took less than 3 minutes, but I could tell he was aiming his phone at us and lurking in my personal space. I scowled at him and grabbed Baby Girl in a full-blown bear hug, placed her in the cart while holding the cookies and took a step toward him, intending to confront him. He cut me off and said, “Adorable,” to which I calmly responded, “Thank you.” (I guess I was on auto pilot. I’m so mad at myself for not making a scene.) It was the creepiest way anyone has ever told me that my child is adorable.

After I put some space between us and the man, I approached the first employee I saw, who was hanging clothing on a rack within eyesight of the man, and said, “There’s a man over there making me uncomfortable and taking pictures of us on his phone. Do you have a protocol in place for this?”

She replied, “Oh, no, I don’t think we do. Sorry! I guess you can go see if customer service can call security?”

I checked over my shoulder one more time. The man had disappeared. Baby Girl had thwarted my plans to make a quick exit because she *opened the cookies!* Now I felt like I had to check out, so I did selfcheckout at the other end of the store without incident. I only stopped at customer service on my way out because I though I should report this to try to keep other people safe (aaand there was no line.)

Kudos to her because, unlike the first lady I talked to who was standing right in the eye line of the harassment, this employee took my concerns very seriously and immediately called for two escorts to the parking lot. While I was waiting for them, I kept trying to see if the man would return because I didn’t think to get a picture of him and I wanted them to be able to identify him.

As the two ladies and I were walking out, the man returned to his post in the produce section right by the front door! I told three female employees—my two escorts and the greeter—and we watched him for another minute or so. No cart, no product, just standing in front of the lettuce. Not shopping.

Lurking. ?? Baby Girl piped up at that time, “I’m so scared!”

One of the security escorts stayed behind to keep an eye on him and the other walked me to my van to keep a lookout while I buckled in Baby Girl and got seated myself. I’m so grateful that Walmart has these escorts available!

I don’t know what happened after that at Walmart because I left, but after several suggestions, I called the WM police department an hour later to report it.

They took the report but didn’t really seem to indicate they would be doing anything or that there was anything to do.

I’ve been approached many times in that store by people, but none of them have made me so alert to real danger as this event. The man in the produce section definitely had nefarious plans. I can’t exactly say how it would have played out, but I suspect he was working with a team who was waiting to make a play in the parking lot. I don’t know that the beggar in the van was related to the lurker, but I can see how they could be.

I’ll admit, sometimes when I hear stories like this, I do think, “Well that person is being too sensitive,” or “They’ve watched too

See CAUTION, page A3 CAUTION

From page A3

much true crime.”

But it happened to me. I absolutely believe bad things were in the works for Baby Girl and maybe me too, if I had not been alert and circumvented it. I abandoned my whole shopping trip the minute I felt stalked. Nothing was worth the risk of losing my child at that moment.

I wish I could have stopped this operation all together. I saved myself, and I’m thankful for the wherewithal to do so, but I’m so mad I didn’t have the forethought to think bigger and save everyone. I’m sure they just moved on to the next Walmart with Interstate access.

Dorothy Wilson lives in Marion with her husband Chris as they enjoy all the adventures raising their seven children brings. Her columns have appeared in the Evening Times and Marion Ledger since 2014.