A late-evening Target run in North Richland Hills turned unsettling yesterday when a man sprayed an unidentified substance on a woman who was shopping with her child, according to witnesses. A bystander who captured the encounter on video later confronted the man inside the store, and witnesses said the suspect took off in a silver Chevy pickup. Police are now investigating and want help identifying him.
The incident happened around 9 p.m. at the Target near North Tarrant Parkway and Precinct Line Road. Witnesses described the suspect as a man with shoulder-length black hair who was wearing a blue surgical mask and who allegedly walked up behind the woman and sprayed something on her back from what sounded like a spray bottle, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. When confronted, witnesses said, the man denied doing anything before sprinting to a waiting silver Chevy pickup that then drove away.
Witness Confronts Suspect
James Whitfield, superintendent of Treetops School International in Euless, said in a Facebook video that he was in the store when he heard the victim calling for help. He said the woman pointed out the man, and Whitfield confronted the suspect before the man ran off. In the video, Whitfield called what happened a "disgusting violation" and said detectives later contacted him after the video drew attention on social media.
Police Seek Tips
North Richland Hills police said detectives are processing evidence and want to hear from anyone who has information or video from the store around 9 p.m. on yesterday. Tipsters are asked to contact Detective West at [email protected] or 817-427-7035, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Police have not announced any arrests and say they are continuing to follow up on tips from witnesses and from social media posts.
