During an afternoon shopping trip to a Target store in Oklahoma, a strange girl approached a mother’s 4-year-old daughter. It became a growing concern when she kept coming back, trying to force the woman’s child to take something she didn’t want. Then, the woman looked behind her in horror, realizing the sick reality of what was going on.
Missy Michelle Kalidy said that she and her daughter were halfway through their shopping at the Edmonton-area store on April 4, when the girl, presumed to be about 9-years-old, seemingly appeared out of nowhere. She approached her little girl, apparently to show her what she had, which Missy didn’t notice at first until the strange child kept coming back with persistence.
What seemed like an over-friendly and outgoing child was anything but innocent, when the girl became upset with Missy after she told her that they didn’t want any of the candy, which she was forcing her daughter to take. She was pretty persistent, so I got irritated and told her my daughter didn’t want any candy and we kept walking.” Missy explained
At that point, the mother began to look around to see who this child was with. That’s when she saw something she never thought she would, especially in a place like Target. Missy said that a man, standing not far from them, was watching the entire interaction and signaling to the little girl.
“I told the cashier and he called the manager, which then they both bolted and got into a van.” the freaked out mother said, after seeing what she believes was a failed attempt for this man to lure her daughter in, using another child as his bait.
“If I had known what what was happening at the time, I could have grabbed the girl and saved her! Point being, they wanted to take my daughter! She’s four!
The manager told me that human traffickers target places like Target because moms are there during the day with their kids, and many times moms turn their backs when loading the cart. That’s when they can grab them from shopping carts.
The concerned mother learned a very valuable lesson that day about the dangers of human trafficking that lurks not just in dark corners of the city, but in bright stores like Target and other seemingly safe places.
She shared her post as a warning to other parents, but Michael Snowden with the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics Human Trafficking Division said that this kind of attempt is atypical of human traffickers. He explained to KFOR that the process of taking a child is typically done on the sly over time, through someone known by their victims or a stranger who they met online.
Her full Facebook post is below:
Ok…I have to post this as a reminder to all moms. I was at Target on 2nd st when a girl about 9 yrs old kept approaching my daughter…i didnt think much at first. She was pretty persistant so i got irretated and told her my daughter didnt want any candy and we kept walking. She got upset with me and i went to check out she came up again trying to get jenna to co.e take some gum. I looked over and a man was across the store signaling her. I told the cashier and he called the manager, which then they both bolted and got into a van. If i had known what what was happening at the time, i could have grabbed the girl and saved her! Point being they wanted to take my daughter!!!!!! Shes 4!!!! The manager told me they target Target because moms during the day with their kids, and many times moms turn their backs when loading the car and they can grab them from shopping carts. PLEASE BE CAREFUL AND ALWAYS WATCH YOUR KIDS!! ITS REAL AND IN EDMOND!!
What happened that day was certainly a call for concern, even if it wasn’t an attempt to take Missy’s daughter. It proves that, as parents, we must never let our guard down. The real threat of human trafficking in America is understated by too many, who don’t believe in happens in their neighborhoods. It’s that ignorance that predators thrive on and makes them feel comfortable to take brazen approaches like what Missy witnessed that day in Target. If it doesn’t feel right or look right, trust that instinct because your gut is never wrong
