Police: Man arrested after groping 8-year-old girl at Mesa Walmart
Jan 1, 2019, 4:30 PM | Updated: 4:56 pm
(Mesa Police Photo)
(Mesa Police Photo)
PHOENIX — A man was arrested Monday after he allegedly groped an 8-year-old girl in a Mesa Walmart, according to Mesa Police.
Police documents said Alan David Hammer, 56, approached the girl at the store while she was pushing a shopping cart.
The victim’s mother said she saw Hammer talk to the girl and once she acknowledged him, he walked away.
Hammer approached the girl a second time while her mother was around the corner of the aisle, according to the documents.
UPDATE (12/31/18 5:15 PM): – AN ARREST HAS BEEN MADE. The Mesa Police Department wants to thank an observant citizen who recognized this man from our social media posts. Stay aware and thank you for protecting your community. https://t.co/2AmYeeZ4PU
— Mesa Police Dept. (@MesaPD) January 1, 2019
The victim told her mother that he had groped her and told her to come with him multiple times, the documents stated. The mother then confronted Hammer, who fled the scene.
Police said surveillance video showed Hammer following the pair around the store for over half an hour.
Hammer was spotted the following day at a Target, police said, where surveillance video showed him following a group of four young girls.
From the video, police were able to obtain his license plate number and locate him.
He was arrested on one count of attempted kidnapping and attempted child molestation.
Police said Hammer told them he had no memory of the victim or incident, and that it’s common for him to bump into shoppers during busy holiday times.
