Viral Facebook post probe finds two events happened at same time at Tega Cay Walmart

A viral account of a possible abduction attempt in Tega Cay a mystery to police earlier in the day, had an explanation several hours later.

“We have found no truth to that,” said Maj. Dave Nelson of the Tega Cay Police Department in reference to a Facebook post Tuesday by a woman who said she feared for the lives of her children and herself at a Walmart.

“I’m not sure where that came from,” he said.

There was no mention of the incident in police reports by mid-morning Wednesday. Nelson, the TCPD’s public information officer, said his department had not fielded a report, but was hearing questions.

“We just can’t find anything about it,” Nelson said. “We don’t have anything.”

By later afternoon, police were able to piece together what happened.

On Tuesday, a Facebook post from Kristin Miller detailed what she wrote happened on an afternoon trip to the Walmart in Tega Cay. Miller describes being followed in the store and calling her husband for help. They contacted store management and the police were called, she wrote. A man who had been following her ran out of the store, she wrote.

The post goes on to describe how other men were waiting in the parking lot and could have been involved in an abduction or robbery attempt.

The post has been shared more than 5,300 times.

On Wednesday morning, Miller commented on the post saying police had not been called by store staff, but she had just spoke with them.

Though Nelson hadn’t received word of a conversation shortly after, he said the department planned to double and triple check incoming calls and reports, and would investigate once contacted.

Miller told Fort Mill Times she planned to meet with police Wednesday afternoon. The Fort Mill resident said she and her children were shaken by the incident, which is why she left before making sure store staff called police.

“All this happened at the Tega Cay Walmart,” she said. “The guy got really close to me and kept following me around the store. I got really creeped out.”

Miller said she wasn’t the only person targeted.

“He was doing it to other women,” she said. “It wasn't just me he was doing it to. He was doing it to other women with children."

Miller said she didn’t expect her post to gain so much attention, but she is glad it has.

“My intentions were to warn moms,” she said. “Everyone needs to know.”

Later in the day, city of Tega Cay posted on its website that police determined two separate events occurred close to the same time and because of the circumstance.

“While (Walmart’s) Loss Prevention was watching video of the suspicious person, they observed a different individual stealing beer,” the city wrote in its post. “They went to stop that person who ran and jumped in a car with several other people and fled the scene.

"The customer who felt she was being followed thought the same people who ran were the ones watching her. The customer was not aware of the second incident and thought the suspects in the vehicle were part of the same concern she had reported to the store.”

Also in the post, the city wrote, “From the initial police investigation, it appears from the suspicious male committed no crime.  The police can confirm they had a shoplifting of beer occur at the same time and the suspects have not been identified.”

This story was originally published August 9, 2017 at 12:03 PM with the headline "Viral Facebook post probe finds two events happened at same time at Tega Cay Walmart ."