Police Address Concerns of Viral Social Media Posts

SAN ANGELO, TEXAS — Local Facebook posts of suspicious people and actions have caused members of the community to be wary of public places recently. 

In one Facebook post, resident Jill Sturdivant-Baker wrote a lengthy missive regarding her experience at San Angelo's local H-E-B store. She writes in her post, "I just had the most terrifying thing happen to me in my life ... I was with my kids at HEB and noticed two Hispanic males in their late 20s staring at me ... it got the point that it was uncomfortable." She then continues to detail how the first group of Hispanic males and another group of Hispanic males follow her through the store. In the end, Sturdivant-Baker said "two managers walked me out and took a report ... the men were all gone within seconds." 

Another Facebook post that has gone viral was written by Mayra Garcia. Garcia stated that she and her husband went to the KOA a few days ago for a jog when she noticed a white male occupant in a suspicious "tan Durango." As Garcia and her husband began to jog, the vehicle "passed [them] slowly." Thinking the male actions were strange, the couple jogged back to their car in the KOA parking lot only for the male to drive passed them again, park, and observe the two near their vehicle. 

A third Facebook post by Alexys Kane, details Kane's experience at local craft store Hobby Lobby. Kane said she was with her kids when a man started following her from her car and into the store as she shopped. She wrote, "a woman came up to [her] and said it was making her comfortable because [the male] would kneel down and bring up his phone, which look[ed] like he was taking pictures of us ... when [the male] saw the woman confront me, he immediately left Hobby Lobby, walked out like he was going to Tractor Supply, even though he had parked on the other side of Hobby Lobby." Another Facebook post, by a different user, said she was shopping at Target with her kids, when a suspicious male started following her thorough the toy section. 

The San Angelo Police Department has been made aware of the above situations from the various complainants and has received multiple messages from citizens asking about the social media posts concerning reports of women with children being followed by suspicious men in public places. 

Officials from HEB and Target, who were aware of the reported incidents, have been cooperating with the Police Department in a shared concern for the safety and wellbeing of their customers.  

After preliminary investigation and review of surveillance footage, it appears that both incidents were not cases of attempted human trafficking or kidnapping as suggested by social media commentary. 

In both cases, women perceived behavior they felt inappropriate and acted on instinct. The San Angelo Police Department applauds these women for speaking up about the concerning behavior as it has sparked conversation about personal safety and concern for their fellow citizens. 

While these preliminary investigations showed there was no criminal activity involved, the San Angelo Police Department wants to reiterate that everyone should remain vigilant. These reports serve as a reminder to be aware of your surroundings and to report suspicious activity to store staff and local law enforcement. 

Investigations concerning the above claims are currently ongoing.