A TikToker participating in a filmed “solo date” captured the moment a stranger invaded her personal space — by sneaking up behind her as she turned her back and got dangerously close and between her legs.
It’s not the first time the creep has approached unsuspecting women, others claim.
The latest incident took place at the Town Center shopping mall in Burbank, and has left 28-year-old influencer Michaela Witter feeling “violated” because she has no idea what the still-fugitive suspect was trying to achieve.
In the video, the man – after following an unwitting Witter around the store for several minutes – is seen crouching low and getting extremely close to Witter’s legs. He is later seen doing the same to another woman browsing nearby.
Thankfully, the social media star was able to turn around in time, after her camera — which is supposed to capture a leisurely visit to the bookstore — captured the attack and showed her the creep coming.
After being confronted by an irate Witter and asked what he was doing, the man claimed he was tying his shoelaces. Witter has since reported the incident to police, who are now reportedly using her footage to find the man.
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The incident at the Burbank Barnes and Noble leaves 28-year-old influencer Michaela Witter “feeling violated” as she has no idea what the still-at-large suspect had been trying to do
In the video, the man – after following an unwitting Witter around the store for several minutes – is seen crouching low and getting extremely close to Witter’s legs. He is later seen doing the same to another woman who is browsing nearby, and is now wanted by the police
She also posted the clip to her 60,000 social media followers, where she has gathered a huge following with empowerment activities that women can do on their own. She is heard recalling her experience in the now-viral video.
“It felt like everywhere I moved, he kept following me,” she said of the clip, and how what started as just a video turned into an unforgettable experience that left her feeling “stalked and violated.”
“I recorded in case he wanted to say or do something to me,” added the internet personality, who has amassed nearly 300,000 subscribers on YouTube.
“But I certainly didn’t expect him to do this.”
In the video you can see how Witter was not only almost approached by the man during the outing, but was also watched from afar.
It culminates when the social media star finally caught on, after the tall, dark suspect was spotted behind him before crouching behind the woman’s back.
The man – with a tattoo on his left hand – begins to tie his shoelaces, before suddenly stopping and shuffling closer to Witter.
At this point, the man’s face is just inches away from the influencer, facing her buttocks.
She also posted the clip to her 60,000 social media followers, where she has gathered a huge following by showcasing empowerment activities that women can do on their own.
It culminates when the social media star finally caught on, after the tall, dark suspect was spotted behind him before crouching behind the woman’s back.
The man – with a tattoo on his left hand – begins to tie his shoelaces, before suddenly stopping and shuffling closer to Witter.
He was later filmed doing the same to another woman who snooped nearby and appeared to be tying his shoes again
Witter reported the incident to the Burbank Police Department and posted the video to TikTok and social media
Police are reportedly investigating whether the suspect is the same man with a long criminal history of peeping, prowling and home burglaries in Glendale, after Witter said people who saw the video went viral because they had “experienced this[kind of]male harassment.” ‘
When Witter turns to confront the man, he seems surprised and claims he was tying his shoelaces. White disagreed.
“He wasn’t,” Witter says in an overlapping narration in the clip, which has been viewed more than 2 million times since its posting on Wednesday.
“He was faking it,” she adds, her voice full of emotion after the scary experience. “His shoes were tied.”
Witter proceeded to film the man attempting the same thing on another woman before marching over to an employee at the store’s front desk to tell them what had happened.
After some initial hesitation in accepting Witter’s video and photo evidence substantiating her claims, the cashier is seen getting a store manager, who then notifies Witter.
The store – which did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday – would now be working with Burbank police officers to provide more images of the suspect, who has yet to be identified.
Witter has thousands of followers on social media thanks to videos that show off stimulating activities that women can do on their own
It happened recently at the Town Center mall in Burbank, at this Barnes and Noble
“It’s really scary and it’s scary that he’s still out there,” Witter, 28, told KTLA-5 in an interview on Wednesday, as police were still searching for the man in the footage
Witter said Burbank police are working with Barnes & Noble to collect more security footage of the suspect
After posting the video, Witter released a follow-up video saying that others had contacted her and claimed to have recognized the man in the footage, who the influencer said had “done the same thing to them.”
“A lot of women have been very sympathetic because they’ve been through this male harassment and stalking.”
“The fact that people recognize him,” she wrote in an accompanying caption, is “disgusting.”
She added that police are currently investigating whether the suspect is a man who has been through the system repeatedly, with a long criminal history of peeping, snooping and home burglaries in Glendale. KTLA reported.
“It’s really scary and it’s scary that he’s still here,” she told the station.
“Thank you to everyone who shared their experience with the same man,” she added in a social media post. “It made them take the matter more seriously, knowing it happened multiple times.”