'I was shaking': Young boy followed by a stranger on walk home from school in Pottstown
POTTSTOWN, Pa. - A ten-year-old boy in Pottstown experienced a moment of panic when he was followed by a stranger as he was walking home from school on Friday. Luckily, a local store owner was able to step in and help him.
"I was, like, shaking at first," said Sammy. "She was like, ‘I’m going to Wawa. Do you wanna come with me? Are you going to Wawa? What are you getting?’"
Sammy says the woman followed him for a couple of blocks down High Street. After she asked him if his family was around, the smart, quick-thinking fourth-grader executed a getaway plan, ducking into a store, asking the clerk for help.
"He came in, and he was really panicked," says Hannah Daniels, an employee at Dani Bee Funky’s. "He whispers, ‘This lady’s been following me on my way home from school. Can you help me? Pretend you're my mom. Pretend you're my mom.'"
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The whole interaction between Hannah and Sammy was captured on store surveillance and posted on Facebook, which is where Pottstown police say they found out about the incident. In the video, you can see the woman walk away once Hannah stepped in to help.
"I was fine until I saw the video," said Sammy’s dad, Samuel Green. "Then, when I see my son walk over to Hannah and whisper to her, I broke down. That’s when everything hit. It was really, really, really scary. But, he handled it so well, and I’m so proud of him."
Sammy’s dad also said they’ve discussed "stranger danger" a lot and have focused on this very scenario. They’re regular customers at Dani Bee Funky’s, but now, they say it’s more than a store. They’re family.
"He was so thankful," said Hannah. He was like, ‘Thank you so much.' And I was like, ‘I’m so glad you were smart enough to come here and come somewhere that you felt safe.’"
Police say they were immediately able to recognize the woman after viewing the video. They say she is homeless, and they're referring her for mental health issues.