What was supposed to be a day out shopping for a birthday quickly turned into an anxiety-filled chase when a young girl tried to get away from a man allegedly stalking her.
The 19-year-old *Vicky wants other girls to be aware of their surroundings while they are alone. She told the News that on Monday January 10 she was followed by an unknown man.
That morning Vicky went to a mall and then visited her grandma. She was shopping for a birthday present for her boyfriend. She decided to get some balloons and went to a well-known shop.
While she was waiting in the queue a man was standing very close to her.
I did not think anything of it and while I was busy at the counter he came closer to ask about prices,” she said.
On a video that was shown to the News one can see the man hovering, talking to the cashier and then walking away. He exits the shop and then returns immediately. He then hangs around some of the isles but keeps on looking in Vicky’s direction. He even walks up to her a number of times.
After getting what she wanted, Vicky went to her car. As she was trying to put the balloons in the back seat of her car she noticed the man close by talking on the phone.
“I don’t think he actually spoke to someone. He said things like ‘where are you, I can’t see you,’ and ‘you are not where you said you would be’.”
While she was standing on the inside of the open driver-side door he approached her and stood at the other side of the door. He told Vicky that he wanted to pass and tried to push the door shut while she was busy with the balloons.
When he could not pass he went and stood in front of her car, which made her decide not to get into the car while he was there.
She then went to a baked-goods store to get away from him, and another video shows the man following close behind her. Inside the store he went wherever she went. Eventually she took something from a shelf and went to the counter.
I leaned closer to tell the cashier I believed I was being followed, but before I could say anything he was at the counter as well.”
He asked if they took orders and after receiving his answer he turned around and walked out.
Vicky took the opportunity to tell the cashier she believed she was being followed. The cashier reacted quickly, took out a notepad and pretended she was taking an order. She told Vicky that she was going to call security.
Security footage showed the man walking up and down past the shop while they were talking.
Vicky called her father who was there within minutes. The man had left and was leaning against her car, seemingly waiting for her.
Vicky’s dad told her to go to her car, get in and drive away.
When she went back to the car he was gone again. Her father saw the vehicle that he drove off in, which was parked on the other side of the shopping centre. He believes it was a silver/ champagne Mazda 3.
The man was wearing a black T-shirt with Billabong written in orange, black pants, a black mask and a black hat. Her father remembered a tattoo on his arm.
Unfortunately the police told the family that they could not open a case because the man did not physically do anything to Vicky and she could not identify him.
The family asked that anyone who recognised this man or has had a similar experience to please share the information with the News by sending an email to natashap@caxton.co.za.
