A Carencro woman is warning others to remain vigilant while out shopping—especially during the holiday season.

Maci Laviolette posted a message to her Facebook page saying that she usually reads about the situation that she was about to describe, never thinking it would actually happen to her—but that changed after a trip to Walmart on Monday (Dec. 5).

Laviolette says she was picking up a few things at the Carencro Walmart when she kept ending up on the same aisle with a man who was also in the store. At first, Laviolette says she didn't think much of it—chalking it up to circumstance.

Caique Morais, Unsplash
Caique Morais, Unsplash
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Until it happened again; and again on another aisle. Whether she was looking at paint or craft supplies—Laviolette tells me that she lost count after the fourth or fifth time she ended up on the same aisle with the man, who got closer each time she would run into him.

She says she gave the man a suspicious glance as she hurried to another aisle where a worker was stocking shelves and as she waited to see if he would follow; and within a few seconds, Laviolette says she saw him "breaking his neck" to try to see where she was.

after 4 times I was like ok no, and every time he would get closer to me. I finally looked at him like “wtf are you doing” stare. I hurried and got to the next isle where a worker was and I peeked to see if he was following me YEP sure enough he was breaking his neck trying to see where I was.

Luckily, she was able to grab the attention of a manager who had a cop accompany her to self-checkout and then to her vehicle. Laviolette says she apologized repeatedly for being paranoid but the officer informed her that she did the right thing as the man was allegedly still staring at her from the checkout aisle where he was standing.

I didn’t want to tell the man anything or make a scene because I didn’t want to assume he was following me but I am 100% positive he didn’t have any good intentions… not sure if he was after me or after my purse that was in the basket…yeah don’t leave your purse in the basket either!

While she wasn't sure why the man was following her around the store, the officer told Laviolette there have been many reports of this type of behavior in the area—including Walmart.

After she posted about her experience her comment section exploded with multiple people who shared similar experiences.

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Just like Maci, another commenter said that she thought some of the stories were exaggerated until it happened to her.

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One woman even claimed to have run into the same person at two different stores in Acadiana.

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While Laviolette tells me she thought she was being "crazy" or "paranoid" by asking for help, there were many others who said they would "rather look stupid in public" than have something awful happen to them or someone else.

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Even the co-worker who was on the aisle in the store entered the conversation to let Laviolette know that she did the right thing when she was feeling suspicious.

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As more and more people shared their similar experiences, a husband revealed that his wife had the same thing happen to her inside and outside of a store, advising everyone to be safe—especially during the holiday shopping season.

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Better safe than sorry is more than a cliche and this is just a reminder to always remain vigilant and to speak up if things don't feel or seem right.

Have you ever been in a situation like this? If so, feel free to share in the comments.

Tobias Ppyso, Unsplash
Tobias Ppyso, Unsplash
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