Abilene Woman Fears for Her Life After Being Approached in Wal-Mart Parking Lot

On Jan. 30, at a north Abilene Wal-Mart, a woman with a child was approached by three subjects in the parking lot after unloading her groceries into her vehicle. The woman, fearing for the safety of herself and her child, told the three individuals to not approach her, took down critical information and contacted police, said Rick Tomlin, public information coordinator for the Abilene Police Department.

Tomlin added that the three individuals left the area in the vehicle they were driving in. Through the information provided, Abilene officers were able to make contact with the individual who owned the vehicle in question.

“[The three people] are part of a religious organization, which makes it part of their practice to approach individuals out in public areas to spread their religious beliefs,” said Tomlin. “This is what the three individuals were doing when they approached the woman and her child on Saturday.”

Tomlin said the Abilene Police Department commends the actions of the mother who was aware of her surroundings, remembered critical information and wrote down the make/model/color of the vehicle along with a license plate number. She took all the appropriate steps to ensure her and her child’s safety.

The religious organizations in question are defined as Canvassers under City Ordinance and must get permission from the property owner to operate on their property. However, they are not required to have a permit, Tomlin said.