https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lXdc4tiXqk
I take my 5 year old son almost everywhere with me since his father is always working. We had just gotten back from a family wedding one evening when I took my son with me to Walmart because we needed to grab some groceries. We had pretty much picked up everything we needed, except for the frozen stuff which I strategically get last so it doesn’t go bad and melt. I remember specifically walking down one of the main aisles towards the freezer section when I turned around and realized my son was gone. I’m sure anyone who is a parent could imagine the panic I felt.
I left the cart I was pushing and instantly backtracked everywhere I had just been. I couldn’t find him. I ran through the store yelling for his name but he was nowhere to be found. Some of the employees asked me what was happening and I explained that I had just lost my son in the store. They tried to calm me down but I was distraught. After a couple minutes, many people in the store including non-employees were calling my son’s name and helping me look for him. The shift manager made an announcement over the PA system alerting everyone that there was a missing 5 year old boy with short, dark hair, wearing light up sketchers and a blue Pokémon T-shirt. By now, everyone in the entire store stopped what they were doing and were helping me look, But no one could find him.
Suddenly, I heard a commotion towards the bathroom area on the side of the store, and sprinted over as fast as I possibly could. Some guy was yelling across the store telling me that they found my son right outside the bathroom, and he was okay. I felt so relieved, and hugged him, completely emotional and crying. Even though I was glad I found him, I knew I had to use this lesson as a parenting moment to tell him that he can’t wander off and go to the bathroom without telling me. As I told him this on the car ride home, his response sent shivers down my spine.
He told me that a man came up to him and offered to buy him a toy, so he held hands with him and went to the toy section. After picking out an action figure the man walked my son to the checkout and they stood in line waiting to buy it. My son even mentioned that the man wanted to go outside and open the action figure with him, but as they were just about to buy it, the announcement of the missing boy with his exact description came over the PA system and he grabbed my son and took him to hide inside the restroom. While everyone was helping me search for him, the man must have snuck out of the store, leaving my son in the bathroom. Learning this felt sickening knowing that the man clearly had terrible intentions of abducting my son, and doing whatever evil disgusting thing he was planning on doing. It was easily the scariest, most terrifying day of my life as a mom, and I just ask that all parents who hear this can be extra careful and vigilant of their children, especially in public.