ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — The St. Johns County Sheriff's Office announced Sunday evening that deputies have identified a man accused of following a mother and her 2-year-old daughter around Publix.
Just after 4:30 p.m., the sheriff's office said the man was identified thanks to "numerous tips regarding the suspicious incidents in the area retail stores in the NW District." The sheriff's office did not release the man's identity but said detectives are continuing to follow up on the case.
The incident happened Wednesday when a man was caught on video following a woman and her daughter around the Publix on State Road 13 without purchasing anything. Deputies said when the woman entered the checkout line, the man exited the store and waited for her outside before following her to her car.
The woman told deputies she was able to hide from the man and quickly went back into the store to notify employees.
"He started following me all the way to my car and that's when I was literally hiding behind cars, ducking behind windows, watching him go 'Where is she' kind of thing," she said. "Then I went back into the store."
When she returned back to the parking lot, the man was gone, she said.
The following Saturday, the sheriff's office said a second woman came forward saying a man followed her through a retail store as well in the same area as the first incident.