Massachusetts police looking for man who hugged Walmart shoppers and said he gave them coronavirus
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‘Just giving you a COVID hug’: Massachusetts police are looking for a man who hugged multiple Walmart shoppers and told them they were being infected with coronavirus
- Police in Springfield, Massachusetts, are searching for a man who hugged multiple Walmart shoppers he didn’t know
- The man allegedly hugged the shoppers, then told them ‘You now have COVID’
- One of the man’s several victims that day was said to be a cancer survivor
- Cancer patients could suffer from compromised immune systems which could make them more susceptible to catching coronavirus
Massachusetts police are searching for a man who has allegedly been going to a local Walmart and giving shoppers ‘COVID hugs.’
The Springfield Police said Friday that they are seeking help in identifying the man who hugged a customer at a Walmart store in Springfield, Massachusetts, and told them they now had coronavirus.
The incident occurred on August 15 at about 7.10pm.
‘This suspect took an item out of a victim’s hands and then gave him a hug,’ police said in a Facebook alert.
‘He told the victim “Just giving you a Covid hug. You now have Covid.” The suspect then started laughing and walked away.’
The Springfield Police Department released this surveillance image of a man who allegedly hugged shoppers at a Walmart and told them he infected them with coronavirus
Police said that the victim was a cancer survivor and had never seen the suspect before.
Some cancer patients are among the list of those with underlying symptoms due to potentially suffering from a compromised immune system which could put them at an increased risk of catching coronavirus.
The man was said to have pulled the same stunt on other customers as well.
Police released a surveillance video image of the man they claim was responsible for the ‘COVID hug.’
The incident occurred at this Walmart in Springfield, Massachusetts, on August 15 at 7.10pm
In the image, the man is seen wearing a face mask, but it’s unclear if he was wearing a mask at the time he hugged the victims.
A police spokesperson told Mass Live that when the suspect is found, he’ll face charges of assault and battery and making terroristic threats.
Police said that claiming to have coronavirus even if you haven’t tested positive for it is considered a threat and would be on par with making a false bomb threat.
Anyone with information about the man’s identity is asked to call the Springfield Police Detective Bureau at 413-787-6355. Tipsters can also leave a private message on the department’s Facebook page, or send an anonymous Text-A-Tip to CRIMES (2-7-4-6-3-7), beginning the message with the word SOLVE.
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