PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — Prince William County Police Department is searching for a suspect in an alleged sexual assault that occurred at a grocery store on Friday morning.
At around 9:45 a.m., officers responded to the Food Lion in the 6300 block of Hoadly Road in Manassas to investigate a reported assault.
A preliminary investigation revealed that an employee of the store — identified as a 58-year-old woman — was followed around the business by an unknown male patron. According to police, the patron had been known to visit the location and had had previous brief encounters with the female employee in the past.
The employee reported to police that on this occasion the man approached her and had a brief interaction before walking away. According to police, the employee returned to stocking aisles when she was approached from behind by the same male patron. As the man walked away, the employee reportedly felt an unknown liquid on her pants.
Police were called to the scene shortly after. The man had already left the store before police arrived at the scene.
Investigators reviewed video surveillance which showed the man entering the store at approximately 8:50 a.m. According to police, the footage shows the man watching the employee on multiple occasions from other aisles within the store. At one point, the man can reportedly be seen approaching the employee from behind and exposing himself while making obscene motions toward the unknowing employee.
At approximately 9:35 a.m., the video reportedly shows the man abruptly turning away from the employee and exiting the business.
The man was last seen getting into a dark-colored, four-door sedan with a missing rim on the rear passenger side tire.
The man is described as a Black male, aged between 30 to 35 years old. He is roughly 6 feet tall with a thin build. He was last seen wearing a white short-sleeve polo with gray and black stripes, dark-colored pants, black sneakers with a white logo, wire-rim sunglasses and a white medical mask.
A preliminary investigation determined that — based on the man’s behavior — the liquid found on the employee’s pants is believed to be bodily fluid. The employee was not injured.
Anyone with information regarding this investigation or the identity of the man pictured is asked to contact the Prince William County Police Department tipline at 703-792-7000 or submit a web tip here.
