Police: Stranger follows woman to car at Walmart, offers to pay for sex

YORK, S.C. — A York woman called police after a stranger followed her to her car last week and offered to pay her for sex.

In surveillance video from a Walmart in York, the woman could be seen walking out of the store as a man wearing a dark, short-sleeve shirt and khaki pants walks past her.

He then turns his head to look at her and she leaves the store.

York police said Channel 9 viewer tips helped lead them to a person involved in the incident. Police identified the man and plan to meet with him Monday.

York police Detective Rich Caddell noticed something suspicious on the video that shows that man.

"He definitely, from the video I could see, locks on her right away," Caddell said.

Seconds after the suspect walks into Walmart he immediately turns around and walks back out, apparently looking for the woman he had just passed.

Police said he followed her to her car in the parking lot and approached her.

"She'd actually gotten in her car, and rolled her window down when he approached her and he was right at the window of her car.

And she felt really vulnerable and kind of frightened, which I don't blame her," Caddell said.

She told police the man asked her where she got the tattoo on her shoulder and when she answered him he offered to pay her $300 for sex.

She quickly drove away and called police.

The last part of the video showed the suspect's older model white F-150 driving past the front of the store.

Police are concerned about this happening again and fear that next time the man could be more aggressive.

"He could take the next step," Caddell said. "So we want to be proactive about this."

That's exactly what people Channel 9 spoke to are worried about.

"If it's a young girl who doesn't have a chance to get away, then what?" asked Jill Onorato, of York.

Eddie Gilmore echoed those thoughts.

"If it could happen here, it could happen anywhere. I would think it would make some women afraid to go in the stores," he said.

York police hope to identify the man from the surveillance video. If found he could be charged with soliciting prostitution.

If you recognize the man you're asked to call York police at 803-684-4141 or CrimeStoppers of York County at 877-409-4321.

Read more top trending stories on wsoctv.com:

WSOC