BARTLESVILLE, Okla. — A Bartlesville mother is furious after she said a man exposed himself to her 7-year-old daughter at Walmart.
"It's sick for someone to just do that and think it’s okay," Rabekah Benjamin said.
The family was looking for pajamas when the incident happened.
“She ends up tapping me on the side of my arm," Benjamin said. "And I said, 'what’s up?' And she said, 'Mom. That guy just pulled his thing out and wiggled it at me.' I said, ‘What?’”
She and her husband immediately began looking for the suspect in the store.
“We went back over to the boy's section and she said, 'There he is,'" Benjamin said. "And so she looked over and he was walking away. So my husband turned around and went to walk after him. And as soon as he got to the end of the aisle he just sprinted off.”
Bartlesville police are reviewing video footage of the incident and could not release any images at this time. They describe the suspect as a 16-20-year-old white male, about 5' 6" and with possibly shoulder-length blonde hair.
BPD said an incident like this is surprising and concerning for the city.
“If somebody’s bold enough to do something like this in a store, what’s their next step?" said Bartlesville Police Capt. Kevin Ickleberry. "Are they going to kidnap a child? Abuse a child in other ways? That’s always a concern. That’s why it’s important to identify any possible suspects.”
Benjamin is proud of her daughter for speaking up right away. She has a warning for parents.
“Just goes to show you have to keep your kids with you," Benjamin said. "You have to know your surroundings and make sure you’re looking around because you literally don’t know what’s going on.”
And a message for the suspect.
“We will find you. I won’t stop until we do," Benjamin said.
Police are searching for the suspect. If you have any information about this incident, you’re asked to call Bartlesville police at 918-338-4001.
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