A San Antonio mom is warning other parents to be on the lookout after a recent shopping trip left her in a state of panic.
Jessica Coutinho told News 4 San Antonio that a pair of men followed her and her three children during a shopping excursion at Ingram Park Mall, at one point even taking photos of them.
Coutinho said she and her children were shopping at a girls’ store when she saw the first of the two men. Initially, she thought he might be buying something for something for a family member and using FaceTime to share video.
Instead, Coutinho said she saw the man’s phone and realized he was only pretending to be on a call, according to the News 4 report. At that point, Coutinho advised her children to stay close. The man stared at her family, making her uncomfortable, she added.
When Coutinho went to pay for her items, her 11-year-old daughter noticed a second man loitering inside the store. The daughter said that man took photos of the family but looked away after realizing he’d been spotted.
“He finally disappeared, and we were like ‘OK, we’re in the clear,'” Coutinho said. “As soon as we walk out of the store, he’s waiting for us at the door.”
Coutinho left the mall after the incident, but said she regrets not notifying the store’s cashier or calling police. However, she later alerted mall security.
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This article appears in Jul 17-30, 2019.
