Police are attempting to identify a man who is wanted for questioning about the groping of a teenager in Target in South Windsor.
Officers said the man was seen walking into the Target on Buckland Hills Drive on Friday around 6 p.m.
While inside, authorities said, he was aimlessly walking through several aisles.
According to investigators, it appeared that the man was recording women in the store with his cell phone while police said he was "sexually gratifying himself."
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The man then approached a 17-year-old girl while inappropriately touching himself and the girl walked to another aisle, authorities said.
In the other aisle, the man allegedly groped the girl from behind and then fled the store after being confronted by her, police said.
“That type of brazen act in a public setting such as a department store like Target is always concerning,” said South Windsor Police Sgt. Mark Cleverdon.
The man is described as being in his early 20s to mid 30s and he is approximately 5-foot 11-inches tall.
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Target customers who spoke to NBC Connecticut said they are appalled by it.
“That’s wild, that’s mind blowing. It really is. I never thought we would have to worry about going inside Target and someone following kids,” said Aleigha Cheeyou, of Hartford.
“It’s disturbing, very disturbing. I have a child myself and I don’t bring her out in public because of this,” said Debora Rodrigues, of South Windsor.
Rodrigues said in the past, she also noticed a man following her inside the Target in Enfield and South Windsor.
“What I did was a I left with a big crowd that way I wasn’t out in the parking lot by myself,” Rodrigues added.
South Windsor police recommend staying vigilant while out in public and say to seek help if something does happen.
“You never know the capabilities or the mental state of mind of the other individual. It’s best to remove yourself from the situation, go find help, go seek help and then let us handle that from after," added Sgt. Cleverdon.
Target released a statement, saying in part that the company has "no tolerance for this kind of behavior."
"At Target, the safety of our guests and team members is our top priority and we have robust procedures, policies and training in place to ensure that our stores are safe places to shop and work. We have no tolerance for this kind of behavior and as soon as we were made aware of this incident, we partnered with the South Windsor Police Department. Based on the active nature of the investigation, we would refer additional questions to law enforcement," the statement says.
Anyone with information about the incident in South Windsor should contact Officer Joe Fargnoli at (860) 644-2551.
