A 73-year-old woman in the United States says a routine grocery trip ended in shock after she was assaulted inside a supermarket in DeKalb County, Georgia.
Mae St. Julien, an African American great-grandmother, said the incident happened on February 26 at about 4:30 p.m. while she was shopping at a Kroger store in Ellenwood.
According to St. Julien, she was moving through aisle three with her cart, picking up items for a recipe she recently found online, when a young man suddenly approached from behind and struck her hard on the backside.
“It made a loud noise. like a gunshot almost,” St. Julien told WSB-TV.
She described the act as deeply disturbing and said being hit in that area felt like a sexual violation. The suspect reportedly smiled after the attack and quickly ran away.
When police arrived, St. Julien said she was told that officers had just responded to a similar case at another grocery store across the street. In that situation, two other women were reportedly struck in the same way, although it is not clear if they filed formal complaints.
The incident has left the elderly woman shaken. She said the experience has caused emotional distress and she may seek counseling.
“I want him to be caught, to be stopped,” she said.
St. Julien also said the attack has changed her long-standing routine. After shopping at the same store for more than 20 years, she says she no longer plans to return.
Police in DeKalb County say the case remains under investigation. Authorities are asking anyone who may have witnessed the incident or has information about the suspect to contact the police.
Be careful out there.