Virginia man says Walmart suspected him of kidnapping his bi-racial kids


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A Virginia man shopping at a local Walmart got more than he bargained for when he was suspected of kidnapping his own daughters, :huh: WTTG Fox 5 reports.

Joseph, who doesn?t want his family?s last name revealed, told the station that he was met at home by a local police officer tipped off by Walmart security and asked about his children because they are biracial.

Joseph, who is white, and his wife, Keana, who is black, have been married for 10 years and have three daughters ? a 4-year-old and 2-year-old twins.

During a recent trip to a Woodbridge Walmart with his three girls, Joseph tells the station that while he wasn?t there long, but did spend a few extra minutes in the parking lot taking time to buckle the girls into their seats.

According to WTTG, Joseph then drove to pick up Keana, and as they arrived home, a police officer from Prince William County was waiting for them.

"He asks us very sincerely, ?Hey, I was sent here by Walmart security. I just need to make sure that the children that you have are your own,?? Joseph said.

"I was dumbfounded," Keana told the station. "I sat there for a minute and I thought, ?Did he just ask us if these were our kids knowing what we went through to have our children??

"He took my ID and asked my 4-year-old to point out who her mother and father were."

Joseph said the officer told them a Walmart security guard reported seeing him in the parking lot with the girls and thought it was strange.

Keana later called Walmart demanding an explanation. She told WTTG that after asking to speak with a manager, she was transferred to a Walmart security officer, who denied alerting the police. The officer said it was a customer who came forward.

Joseph and Keana don?t plan to shop at Walmart again.

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excellent for them. Walmart here's the problem with your story;

"He asks us very sincerely, ?Hey, I was sent here by Walmart security. I just need to make sure that the children that you have are your own,?? Joseph said.

then what Keana got told

Keana later called Walmart demanding an explanation. She told WTTG that after asking to speak with a manager, she was transferred to a Walmart security officer, who denied alerting the police. The officer said it was a customer who came forward.

the proper response;

Joseph and Keana don?t plan to shop at Walmart again.
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Wal-Mart is getting entirely too nosy and controlling.

Their only purpose is to sell goods and services --not police the customers personal lives.

Some manager heads need to roll.

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the guy should be happy someone cares enough to report something of this nature. And WalMart didn't call, it was a security guard, he has a name. Walmart had nothing to do with this.

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the guy should be happy someone cares enough to report something of this nature. And WalMart didn't call, it was a security guard, he has a name. Walmart had nothing to do with this.

the only reason why I disagree is because I too worked in a retail store as in house security. Walmart security is all in house security hired by Walmart and look out for Walmart interests.

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the only reason why I disagree is because I too worked in a retail store as in house security. Walmart security is all in house security hired by Walmart and look out for Walmart interests.

I'm betting one of their "interests" is not letting kids get kidnapped while on their property. If you think its not altruistic that's fine, but that doesn't make it wrong of them. People always wonder why people sit by and don't do anything when they see a crime or potential crime. This guy did something and now people are saying he shouldn't have. That's nonsense.

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And if they actually had been kidnapped, the title of the news story would have been "Walmart Security Officer thwarts Virginia Kidnapper, Hailed as a Hero"

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I'm betting one of their "interests" is not letting kids get kidnapped while on their property. If you think its not altruistic that's fine, but that doesn't make it wrong of them. People always wonder why people sit by and don't do anything when they see a crime or potential crime. This guy did something and now people are saying he shouldn't have. That's nonsense.

ok they saw him on video obviously.when he arrived till when he left. if they can see he arrived WITH the kids.. what's their problem then?

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the guy should be happy someone cares enough to report something of this nature. And WalMart didn't call, it was a security guard, he has a name. Walmart had nothing to do with this.

what nature would that be?

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ok they saw him on video obviously.when he arrived till when he left. if they can see he arrived WITH the kids.. what's their problem then?

Its not obvious at all that they saw him on video. It sounds more like they were seen by someone, not on video. Even if they did, it'd be stupid to take the time to try to find when they arrived with the kids to check it out before calling the police about it. There's not usually a lot of time to spare in kidnapping situations.

What damage is really done here. The family is overreacting, as are others.

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what nature would that be?

Maybe there was a biracial kid who was kidnapped recently? WalMart does have an amber alert list in all their stores and someone or the guard decided to call it in?

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what nature would that be?

I am shocked and not sure how you could not see what this story was about. It was about the possibility of kidnapping.

the only reason why I disagree is because I too worked in a retail store as in house security. Walmart security is all in house security hired by Walmart and look out for Walmart interests.

During his shift, had the security guard had to go take a #2 and used a whole roll of triple ply paper, would you also say Walmart is responsible for his exceedingly extreme wastefulness? Workers have opinions, right or wrong, and they exercise them as so. He did just that in this case and it was his call, not Walmart's.
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The world would be better off if people were less nosy. What was strange about this? A father making sure his kids were safe by strapping them in to the car? Or the fact that their kids looked a different, or a different color, than their father. Even if they were not his biological kids, ever heard of adoption? Basic ignorance on Walmart security. I never once looked at a biracial couple and their kids and was suspicious or questioned whether or not they were kidnapped.

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honestly you don't know what the story could have been? really?????

No, I don't, I'm sorry but if I see a black parent with white kids or vice versa my thoughts in order would be:

1) adopted kids

2) mixed couple

...... 9997 other thoughts

10000) oh noes, only explanation is that that guy kidnapped them, let's call the police!

I don't know, maybe I'm abnormal, but I like to think not everyone is a rapist, pedophile or kidnapper.

Maybe there was a biracial kid who was kidnapped recently? WalMart does have an amber alert list in all their stores and someone or the guard decided to call it in?

Then they could have relayed that information to the parents, it would have made a lot more sense in that case

I am shocked and not sure how you could not see what this story was about. It was about the possibility of kidnapping.

Great, you changed your reply, my question remains, what nature would that be? What was it that made the guy a suspect?

Was it because he was a father with young daughters doing groceries instead of the mom? That would be sexist, we're not living in the fifties anymore

Was it because his children had a different colour than him? That's racist, again, not living in the fifties anymore.

So if it is all so clear to you, explain it to me please

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So if it is all so clear to you, explain it to me please

it is perfectly clear to some... and cloudy for others. I have kids, all older and grown, but will be having 2 more. I HOPE that someday, if my kids are ever kidnapped by someone, that someone like this security guard has the sense to call it in, even if it's in error.

but I like to think not everyone is a rapist, pedophile or kidnapper.

Can you tell a difference? How?
Great, you changed your reply, my question remains, what nature would that be? What was it that made the guy a suspect?

dude, read the story and you will see, POSSIBLE KIDNAPPING... It turns out it wasn't. I don't know how much clear more someone can be. What makes someone a suspect? An event. action, or circumstance that leads one to believe the possibility of a crime had been/is being committed by an individual. To this guard, it was his wrong opinion that something about this situation was wrong. That's it, just a simple error.
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it is perfectly clear to some... and cloudy for others. I have kids, all older and grown, but will be having 2 more. I HOPE that someday, if my kids are ever kidnapped by someone, that someone like this security guard has the sense to call it in, even if it's in error.

Nothing in the story indicated that there was an alert that a kidnapping had recently occurred. If there was an amber alert, I am sure it would of been mentioned in the story. With what was givin in the OP, the security guard was an ignorant fool and got to nosy. Now, if they were going off an amber alert...sure, kudos to the security guard but nothing indicates they were doing so.

And this is....interesting....

Keana says she was told, "Well, the customer was concerned because they saw the children with your husband and he didn't think that they fit. And I said, ?What do you mean by they don't fit?? And I was trying to get her to say it. And she says, ?Well, they just don't match up.??

So again, ignorance on the person who reported the "problem"

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I've often seen young kids with grandparents, or an uncle.

They really don't 'look' alike, related.

Should I be calling the police all the time .... :rolleyes:

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Nothing in the story indicated that there was an alert that a kidnapping had recently occurred. If there was an amber alert, I am sure it would of been mentioned in the story. With what was givin in the OP, the security guard was an ignorant fool and got to nosy. Now, if they were going off an amber alert...sure, kudos to the security guard but nothing indicates they were doing so.

And this is....interesting....

So again, ignorance on the person who reported the "problem"

http://www.myfoxdc.c...d#axzz2UVMArIED

Imagine if it was true? would you still feel the same way? I am betting yes you would. I am not saying the guard was right, some people have VERY wacky views, and his was wrong. For me, I give no one the benefit of the doubt. I deal with the needy (and criminal element) almost everyday. When things go wrong/missing/not seemingly right in my line of volunteer work then you do your quick calculations in your head and come up with tons of viable possible scenarios and suspects, for me, most of the time my "gut feeling" is correct but occasionally it is sometimes wrong too. It could be just my nature not to believe what you see. If I seen something off like a man who didn't suit the children, I too would get suspicious. And before you play the race card, don't. My brown friends outnumber my white friends 10 to 1 as well as my finance being Asian.

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Imagine if it was true? would you still feel the same way?

There was nothing/no indication they were suspected of a kidnapping or that a kidnapping was reported. They just didnt "look right" together. I have a mixed race nephew and neice and if a cop came up to me and asked me to prove my relationship to him, I would tell him to shove it. I have nothing to prove and no one has any right to question my family or my relationship to them without proof of any wrong doing. And "not looking right" is just an ignorant reason and can come off as the person being racist or again, ignorant.

And before you play the race card, don't.

Now why would you expect/guess/assume I would play the race card here? Did anything I replied to you about give you the opinion that I would place the race card? I was commenting the the person who reported this to the cops and their ignorance.

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Now why would you expect/guess/assume I would play the race card here? Did anything I replied to you about give you the opinion that I would place the race card? I was commenting the the person who reported this to the cops and their ignorance.

call it a "gut" feeling... sue me.
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No one is at fault here; someone saw something that they felt wasn't right and they did they right thing and alerted the police. The police in turn also did the right thing by not over reacting and asking the kids to point out their mother and father and that was it.

I'd rather have them call it in and be nothing; than then ignore their gut feeling at it be something real bad.

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Nothing in the story indicated that there was an alert that a kidnapping had recently occurred. If there was an amber alert, I am sure it would of been mentioned in the story. With what was givin in the OP, the security guard was an ignorant fool and got to nosy. Now, if they were going off an amber alert...sure, kudos to the security guard but nothing indicates they were doing so

To be fair it is a news article.

Father accuses WalMart of being racist sounds a lot better than security guard calling in a possible amber alert that was false.

Not saying that this was the case but it could very well have been. News stories can be very one sided at times.

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