Business owners in Fort Lauderdale are concerned after they say a man walked inside their store and exposed himself.
Mary Blanco is the owner of Just Natural 100%, a juice bar by Fort Lauderdale Beach. She was at work Tuesday when she says a man came inside and sat down. She says he was acting suspicious.
“I asked him to leave,” Blanco said.
Blanco says he left, but he came back. She says this time, the interaction wasn’t pleasant.
“He started playing with himself and when I told him to get out, he was still looking at me and still playing with himself,” Blanco said. “I started screaming and when I screamed he left.”
Blanco says the same man then exposed himself inside the smoke shop next door. A representative from the smoke shop told NBC6 nobody was hurt.
Fort Lauderdale Police say officers responded to the 900 block of Sunrise Lane in reference to lewd and lascivious exhibition. Preliminary investigation revealed that a male entered two business in the area and publicly exposed himself.
Police say the officer’s initial follow-up investigation on scene did reveal a possible suspect. That suspect’s information was included in the report and the Special Victims Unit is conducting further follow-up to determine if the man will be charged.
“They said they can’t get the guy because he didn’t touch us,” Blanco said. “He needs to touch us and rape us for them to do something about it.”
A couple of doors down, another business owner says the same man walked inside their store, scaring them and their customers. That interaction was on camera.
A woman walked into No Worries Kava Bar and told the owner somebody was stalking her. A few moments later, the owner says the same man who exposed himself walked in, but he immediately told him to leave.
Kim Alfano owns the business with her husband. She says they want people to feel safe at their bar and in the area.
“It’s just actually insane that someone would walk into businesses and behave that way,” Alfano said. “We absolutely protect people on this block. We installed a surveillance camera, we have a tazer and pepper spray so we protect our people and this kava bar at all cost.”
Blanco says she’s is concerned moving forward.
“I feel unsafe, I feel scared, afraid someone or even him is going to come back anytime,” Blanco said. “It’s very scary. You don’t know how to defend yourself, you’re a woman with a man right there ready to go.”
Fort Lauderdale Police say if you feel you’re a victim of the same suspect to contact FLPD and report the incident.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
