A disturbing sexual assault was caught on camera while a woman was shopping at a Whole Foods in California.
The victim was shopping at the Valencia Whole Foods on March 23 when a man exposed himself to her.
The upsetting act was caught on the store’s security camera, in which the suspect was seen approaching a shopper as she knelt down to look at items on the shelves. He was then seen approaching her before he lowered his pants and pressed his exposed genitals against the woman’s ear, according to footage shared by KTLA. He also appeared to be holding a cellphone in his hand at the time of the incident.
After the video captured the assault, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has asked for the public’s help in identifying the man shown in the video.
The suspect is believed to be a man in his mid-30s, according to police. He was dressed in a denim shirt and jeans during the time of the assault.
“We are deeply concerned about the incident that occurred at our Valencia store on March 23,” Whole Foods said in a statement to The California Post following the assault. “The safety and wellbeing of our customers is our top priority.”
The statement continued, “We are cooperating fully with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department in their investigation. We have provided all requested information to law enforcement.”
Police have asked that anyone with information regarding the incident contact the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station at (661) 260-4000. Meanwhile, those who wish to remain anonymous can contact LA Crime Stoppers by calling (800) 222-8477 or visiting their website.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department did not immediately respond to Us Weekly’s request for comment regarding the incident.
The video has caused concern for those living in the community.
“That is alarming because if you’re going to do that in public, in front of people, in front of cameras, you don’t know what they’re doing in private, in bathrooms, parks,” Ellie Perico, who lives nearby and shops at the grocery store, told CBS News.
Perico, who is a retired law enforcement officer, went on to share that she always keeps a close eye on her preteen and teenage kids when they’re out of the house due to safety concerns.
“We always raise them to be hyper-aware,” Perico said. “I think in a community like this, where people think it’s so safe, you’re not exposed to stuff like that. They’re a little too trusting of people.”
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