I'm writing this because what happened to my mother and me was extremely upsetting and honestly could have gone very wrong. We were falsely accused of stealing, followed into the parking lot, and then harassed by a security guard who was aggressive, unprofessional, and made us feel unsafe.
This was an experience from last year, and yes, it's taken me a long time to write this, but I want to use my voice and share my experience with my community about my local store. After we finished checking out with our cashier, Chip, at Register 2, we walked out of the store and stopped by the Sherwin-Williams next door just to look around. As we continued back to our car, a man dressed in all black with a full ski mask covering his face came straight up to us. He didn't introduce himself or explain anything -- I genuinely thought we were about to be robbed based on his appearance and approach.
He immediately asked for receipts (which I was pulling from my bag but he did not even check???) and then began calling us thieves. His tone and body language were extremely hostile. We asked who reported us and whether he even worked for Vons or was third-party security. Instead of answering, he made sarcastic jokes like "I just wear this for fun." It felt dismissive and unnerving, especially since we were clearly confused and scared. His behavior felt aggressive enough that I feared it could turn physical.
He eventually said that Kenyatta (the cashier with purple hair) told him we walked out without paying. This didn't make sense since she wasn't even the one who checked us out. We went back inside with the guard still following closely. When I told Chip what was happening, he looked confused and confirmed that we had just paid with him minutes earlier.
We asked Kenyatta why she thought we were stealing. She kept saying she was "just doing her job" and said she saw us walk out near Register 1. That part is true - I walked out that way after paying because I went back to look at more magazines. My items were already bagged, and I had my receipt. So why accuse someone without the facts? I did nothing suspicious and did not conceal anything. This did not feel like proper protocol was followed.
The guard continued talking down to us, making a scene in front of customers. We asked to speak to a manager. Kenyatta pointed vaguely in a direction, and eventually Adriana, the lead, came over. She tried to intervene and repeatedly asked the guard to step away, but he refused. He hovered over us, telling us to "shut up" or "calm down," even though he was clearly escalating the situation.
At one point, he stuck his middle finger in our faces and stood uncomfortably close. My mother was visibly frightened. His behavior felt intimidating, inappropriate, and threatening.
We had every right to be upset. We were being falsely accused and publicly humiliated by a masked man who refused to disengage even when a manager told him to. It felt like proof no longer mattered and we had become the target of his hostility.
Kenyatta's assumption was based solely on not seeing us exit a specific lane. She could have verified with the actual cashier instead of escalating immediately. That decision led to us being harassed and embarrassed in front of our neighbors and community.
Several people later shared that they've had similar experiences with profiling at this location or involving the same employees. Even another cashier commented that this behavior "happens often," which speaks volumes.
This situation felt discriminatory, aggressive, and dangerous. A security guard should not follow two women into a parking lot based on assumptions, especially while acting unstable and ignoring managerial direction.
I'm sharing this to encourage Vons to take accountability and incorporate cultural competence training, especially regarding the harm caused by profiling and false accusations toward people of color. Do better. read more