*STORY TIME*
This past weekend my experience with Target (Fontana/Slover ave.) was extremely UNIQUE.
My girl Tamara and her daughters (my nieces) and myself went to shop for new clothes. We specifically went for the girls because Target is known for this kids brand Cat & Jack. Tamara has been talking about it for a few weeks so we finally got around to going. We entered the store, we planned to cook dinner and eat at home but we felt snack-ish too. We knew shopping hungry is no good for us lol, so we stopped at the Snack Stand which is next to the Starbucks near the entrance. Our oldest Phoenix (9yr) had to go "use-it" so Tamara took her. I stayed with our little one Anaya (4yr) and ordered a pop corn and a slushee (it was bomb - btw). No one was around us, the popcorn guy even hooked us up with fresh popcorn. We weren't in a rush, it was Friday evening.. The whole weekend was on the horizon for our taking. Tamara comes back we proceed to shop.
After shopping, I realize I misplaced the keys. My heart falls, but I don't panic because this has happened before -- maybe Tamara has them, or one of the girls has them around their neck.
NOPE! Ok -- no sweat. I proceed to check the car...
Tamara and the girls retrace our steps in the store...
I'm outside walking up and down the aisles replaying my own steps, I had the keys right?
I remember locking the car.. Hearing the alarm......
Didn't I park the car here? Yea I pulled up, and through a spot like I backed it in..
Where is the car? By this time I called Tamara to see if she had any progress locating the keys.
She answers and by her tone I know it was no luck, she tells me no she hasn't yet but her phone is on 3%. I look at my phone thru instinct and realize my phone is on 5%.
Shit - is all I could muster. I call my ex hubby and let him know what's going on..
It sinks in, the car is GONE. Also that the keys are GONE.
Thomas processing the news on the other side, as he just gets settled in at work -- says call the police.
I call.. tell them my car has been stolen -- they dispatch an officer.
While waiting for the officer, Tamara is talking to Guest Relations and Target Security.
We're trying to figure out what happened...
The officer comes and while I'm giving the report, Tamara starts to get some answers.
I gave my report to the officer... while I was doing that.. Tamara inquired about the rest of the findings on the footage. Target Security tried to gloss over the fact that the employee gave our keys to the white male.
She also glossed over the fact that the white male exited with a white female who also stole a printer...Or that the printer was stolen by a white female 10 mins before we entered the store (one of those)
Popcorn guy GAVE my keys away.
From what we were told..
The footage revealed that a white male, trailed behind us into the store.
We still don't know why we were followed..
But it sent me into a mental frenzy. I'm still trying to figure it out.
(did he not like our appearance, our goofy kids, two black women, maybe he heard me call her babe.. Did he think we were a lesbian couple, did he think we don't need our vehicle????)
So, the white male saw that we left the keys on the counter. The popcorn guy left for a second..
The male proceeded to pick up our keys.. Get a good description and put the keys down.
He walked away....then came back when Popcorn guy came back.. Said he lost his keys -- said they had a purple lanyard on them -- and popcorn associate gave the white male MY KEYS!!!!
Popcorn guy never gave a statement to the officer, Target security and Jr. Management let the popcorn guy finish his shift as if NOTHING happened.
When Tamara and the girls was retracing our steps -- she asked the Popcorn guy about our keys--
He lied to her at first, said he never saw any keys.
Then when Tamara asked him again (her gut said he was lying) he then said they didn't have a purple string but a NAVY BLUE lanyard.
He even mentioned there was a line behind us... there was NEVER a line. He never helped the man he gave our keys too. He could have known the guy for all we know -- and figured we wouldn't notice our CAR STOLEN since we were too busy shopping.
After all of that -- Tamara went to return the girls clothes, because our car was stolen.. phones were dying, and without our car that $140 and some change would come in handy.
One of the cashiers that got invested while watching what was happening helped her with the return transaction and had the nerve to try and only give her HALF credit for what was bought.
We never even LEFT the store -- the service displayed during this distressing time was terrible.
We ended up paying for the charger at a $5 discounted price thanks to someone that felt bad.
The situation was handled as if THIS was a scenario that was never accounted for. read more