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The Mary Sue
The Mary Sue
Rebekah Harding

‘One of the scariest encounters I’ve had’: Arizona woman shops at Target. Then a couple approaches her

A woman believes a couple followed her in Target and warns other shoppers to trust their gut and ask for an escort out of the store.

In a video with over 323,000 views, TikToker Aylee Elaine (@ayleeelaine) says she was in the home decor section of Target when a white couple in their twenties entered the same area of the store. They pass her in the home decor section twice.

“I’m like, they’re probably shopping for their apartment. Whatever,” Elaine says. 

She goes to the makeup section on the opposite side of the store and sees them again. This time, they stand right next to her and aren’t looking at any products.

“They’re just kind of standing near me. They’re also both staring at me,” she says. “I’m getting weird vibes from them now.”

Elaine decides to call her boyfriend to have someone on the phone so that “if anything happens, there’s a witness.” She tells her boyfriend she believes the couple is following her as she heads to the checkout lanes.

“I notice behind me, they’re kind of following me again. They have nothing in their hands,” she says. “OK, they’re definitely following me.”

What did the Target couple do next?

As soon as she finishes checking out, the couple positions themselves between her and the front door of the store.

“These people are 100% bad news,” she says. “You just know. I’m listening to my gut.”

She decides to ask a Target worker at the service desk if someone can walk her to her car, explaining that the couple behind her is following her. 

As soon as Elaine approaches the service desk, the couple walks back into the store. She still requests an escort to her car just to be safe.

“This is your sign. You cannot be too careful. Bad people are not always scary looking,” she says.

How did viewers react to her precautions?

In the comments, viewers praise Elaine for taking precautions before heading to her car.

“Plenty of women help abductors. Don’t be fooled because he had a woman with him!” one warns.

“Trust your instincts always! You’re never being dramatic,” another says.

“Make a scene, girl. Ask very loudly, ‘Are you people following me?’ I’d rather be wrong and look ridiculous than something bad happen,” a third adds.

Target workers urge other shoppers to speak up if they feel unsafe in the store.

“As a Target employee, don’t be afraid to go to an employee and point out anything or anyone suspicious. This is why we have walkie-talkies and security,” a commenter writes.

“When I was a manager at Target, I would cause a scene and very loudly ask why someone is following young women,” another says. “I had so many times that girls came up and told me they were being followed and I’ll always stand up for them.”

@ayleeelaine i’m smiling throughout the video to make light of the situation but this genuinely was one of the scariest encounters i’ve ever had. girls especially, please please be careful and always aware of your surroundings even if you feel like you’re in a safe area!! #fyp #awareness #safety ♬ original sound – ayleeelaine

The Mary Sue reached out to Elaine for further comment and to Target via email.

Have a tip we should know? [email protected]

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