My Wife Was Attacked In The Parking Lot And Rite Aid Won't Help!
Virginia police are unable to track down the creep who grabbed Michael's wife in a Rite Aid parking lot because Rite Aid is refusing to hand over its security tapes. Even worse, the store manager apparently knows the creepy grabber guy and is also refusing to help. Michael wrote to Rite Aid's corporate office begging them to cooperate with law enforcement. He hasn't heard back in two days.
Michael writes:
On May 8 2008 around 6pm, my wife was shopping at Rite Aid store # 11285 in Newport News, Va. She noticed an individual in the store wearing a heavy coat and nit cap with a backpack. It was warm out so she thought it a little strange. He paid for his purchase and left the store. She paid for her items and left. She has remote start on her car and started it from inside the store. When she got to her car and opened the door, the individual who was in the store ran up behind her an attempted to grab her.She was able to turn and kick him and get into the car and drive off. When she got home we called the police. While we were waiting for them to show up we called the store and spoke with the manager. His name is Jim or John . We explained what just happened and he stated he remembered her being in there and he somewhat knew the individual as he comes in regularly and he might work for a Waste Management Company. He also stated the camera facing the right front side of the building where the attack happened was not working, but the one in the store was. Once we gave the description to the police, he went to talk to the manager. Later in the evening he called to let us know the manager refused to discuss the issue and would not let him see the security video of inside the store. The matter was turned over to a Detective the next day. Since the 9th, numerous attempts have been made to contact the manager, however he has not returned one phone call.
On May 27 around 1pm I called the Home Office at (717)761-2633. After getting bounced around to different departments and disconnected, I was finally able to get Karen Mcklintic (sp) at 503-977-5903 in the claims department. She listened and stated she would take this to her supervisor to act on. I heard nothing from her yesterday May 28, and left her a message today May 29. All I was asking for was for someone to call the manager and instruct him to call the detective and to give him the information he needs. I don’t know if the security video is still available or if it has been taped over.
I do not understand why he is reluctant to help get this resolved. My wife was attacked a few years ago and this is bringing back some bad memories. It makes it worse that the manager may know the individual and sees him in the store and is not doing anything. As a minimum the security tapes should have been pulled after we called and given to the police. I understand if a district or regional manager needed to be involved before the tapes were given or viewed, but to get NO cooperation from a Rite Aid representative is ridiculous. I have no problem taking a week off from work, having a sign made that states: MY WIFE WAS ATTACKED IN THIS PARKING LOT AND RITE AIDE WILL NOT HELP. SHOP AT YOUR OWN RISK.
Good idea. Make the sign, show it to the manager, and explain your intentions. Then, ask once more for the tape.
The corporate office really needs to step up and reign in their vigilante manager. Customer service complaints are inherently subjective, but we can all agree that it's a bad idea to interfere with a police investigation.
(Photo: Getty)
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Comments:
dude if i was you i would go down there and totally kick the managers teeth in, seriously
Awesome!!! The first comment post is blaming the victim.
WAY TO GO!!!
I don't understand how the manager had any right to keep the tape due to it being needed as evidence. I thought withholding evidence to a crime was also a crime.
@laserjobs: Not blaming the victim. But advising him that what he is doing is valiant, but may do more to slow the investigation down. I'm not siding with Rite Aid, I'm not saying his wife shouldn't get help, I'm not saying that his wife doesn't deserve help... I'm just saying that when it comes to police investigations, you should let them do their job.
What was the point posting this on consumerist? Robberies and crimes occur each day in the country.
The reason Rite Aid is probably slow to respond right now is that they are talking with their legal team, as they can be sued and held responsible for the attack.
So as the first poster said, let the police do their work and quit trying to meddle into the investigation by calling the manager and Rite Aid continually.
Detective should be contacted instead to see the progress over it. The detective can get a warrant from a judge for the tapes. Since the manager knows the suspect, the manager could be charged with accessory to a crime for trying to cover up his identity. The police department should also be pressed for getting this fixed. Detectives are very busy and handle quite a lot so it may take time.
Also, contact the district manager about it as well. Tell him/her about your sign event as well. Possibly, he will hand over the tapes if they are not ruined yet.
Also, if there is any free time, you and a friend can drive through the parking lot a few times a day and even go in the store with a camera and if you see the guy, photograph him and then get it to the detective. Also make sure the detective knows that the manager said he knows the suspect.
Go ahead and file a complaint with the BBB and attorney generals office just as a scare tactic and make sure the manager and district manager know as well. And to top it off, go to the local media about it with your story. Rite-aid will not like to be put in the media in a negative light. Make sure the two managers know this as well.
@Phexerian: "Also, if there is any free time, you and a friend can drive through the parking lot a few times a day and even go in the store with a camera and if you see the guy, photograph him and then get it to the detective."
No you can't. The Rite Aid is private property. You cannot freely walk in and photograph people without their permission.
@Here_we_go: Police need a warrant to take evidence from private property. The company is free to just give the evidence up (and they should), but they do not have to until they are compelled to by the court.
Y'all chill out on the victim, here. Good God! I wouldn't have a huge amount of confidence that the police would dog this case properly, either. No physical damage, no successful robbery, on to more pressing cases. Check out how many crimes get reported in that area:
I'd say Mike's the one with the due diligence, here. Rite Aid's ramping up their legal exposure, here, I'd say. I'd love to be sitting on a jury and hearing how they stonewalled in this case...
@thesabre: In my experience, most cops are lazy (the bad ones) and/or overworked (the good ones). They generally need a lot of prodding from the victims if you want them to get off their asses and actually investigate a crime like this.
You mean the investigation was turned over to a detective and yet, you still contacted Home Office to try and help? That's very nice of you, but let the police do their job. People like you, while they have good intentions, usually do more to hinder an investigation than help it.
Those of you with great confidence in the results of the average police "investigation"...well, it's likely misplaced. My car was stolen and later I was a victim of a hit-and-run, and in both cases, the thieves were only brought to justice because I spent months, in each case, tracking them down. The police DID NOT CARE -- and really weren't even interested -- despite the fact that I had ample evidence in each case, which I provided to the police...including a security tape from Whole Foods (from their parking garage, where the hit-and-run occurred). I got it by being rather persuasive on the phone with an exec in their main office about their responsibility to help customers who are victimized while in their business get justice.
Judge Kamens, in Santa Monica Criminal Court, told me the hit-and-runner never would have been brought to justice but for my efforts -- and perhaps that means he won't be on the road to injure you or somebody else.
In short, the police are busy and maybe don't care about your little case. I'm tracking a woman now who used a fake driver's license in my name to siphon $12K out of my bank accounts. Believe me, I care much more than the police or the Bank of America investigators do. In fact, when I talk to cops about this, they say stuff like "The bank took the hit, why do you care?" (Because the bank gave me back my money that they dispensed like iceberg lettuce.)
Well, if she doesn't rob you, too, maybe it's because I've spent the time to track and see her ass prosecuted...I will if it's at all possible for me, believe me.
@Phexerian:
@Shadowfire:
Touché. :-)
@johnva:
True, but interfering with a police investigation is a crime, regardless of which party does the interference.
@Amy Alkon: That's great that you helped. But it appears that you did not attempt to help while there was an actual ongoing investigation going on. Was there an actual detective working on your case while you were getting involved?
the grabber works in waste management eh? Maybe he is in the mob and threatened the rite aid manager? lol
@thesabre:
boy the cops sure do have it all sewn up dont they! They can basically not investigate while telling you they are & then accuse you of interfereing with an investigation if you dare to do it yourself!
This may come across as insensitive, but I prefer to think of it as optimistic...
Congratulations! You just won the lottery. Make a big public stink, sue RiteAid for an exorbitant amount and profit.
It is a great, scary story, so going on the big talk shows will certainly help. If some nutjob can successfully sue McDonalds for hot coffee, you should be able to make out like a BANDIT for something legit like this. Even if you don't have a REAL case (I'm no lawyer, maybe you do, maybe you don't) but by making a huge deal out of it, you will be giving Rite Aid enough bad publicity where they may settle out of court.
It will be some effort, and some time, but isn't it worth it to potentially become overnight millionaires?
Best of luck, take them to the cleaners...
thesabre just shut up the police only help when forced to
thesabre isn't blaming the victim but the point is correct. A company will generally NOT turn over a surveillance tape to a private party (or allow them to view it). They will, however, turn it over to the authorities for a criminal investigation.
This same thing happened to a friend of mine when someone stole his credit card out of his car in his driveway and was caught shopping in some sports store (Sports Authority?). He wanted to get a look at the perps so he'd know who they were if he ever so him again (for his family's protection) but they wouldn't show him the tape.
@Skyoodpov: Honestly, I get SO tired of that McDonald's case getting trotted out constantly.
It was an elderly woman who was in a NONMOVING car and was burned so badly she required skin grafts. It was discovered during the course of the trial that more than 700 people had been burned by their coffee in a 10-year span. McDonald's franchises were REQUIRED to keep their coffee at 180-190 degrees (almost boiling); at that temperature, third-degree burns occur in two to seven seconds.
Not to mention, all SHE wanted was her medical bills paid. The jury awarded a higher amount to her.
Maybe the manager is friends with this guy?
Rite-Aid has no obligation to turn over the tape to anyone without a court-order (subpoena). Freely giving them out to private parties raises severe privacy issues and legal exposure issues for Rite-Aid. If Rite-Aid had just handed them over to the OP or let him view them, everyone would be screaming invasion of privacy, etc. The OP needs to leave this to the police and stop interfering with their investigation.
Wait until the police announce they're unable to get the tape, and then sue Rite Aid and the store manager for intentional infliction of emotional distress.
INAL, but personally I would've called my lawyer immediately after I called the police, and I definitely would've called him after the store refused to hand over the tape.
@thesabre: The manager refused to cooperate with a police investigation. He has a valid complaint.
And also, unless it's a high-profile kidnapping or murder, the police don't care about anything other than handing out speeding tickets unless you either do all their work for them or they catch the guy in the act. This has been my experience with multiple police departments/agencies.
Although I must give the officer involved in this story credit for actually taking the report and trying to view the surveilance tape.
I take back my earlier comment. I had to reread the article several times as it is poorly written.
The author uses 'he' in reference to the manager. Then the author says "Once we gave the description to the police, he went to talk to the manager". The author uses "police" in the non specific and then refers to an individual, who I'm now assuming was the responding officer?
In any event, the store is under no obligation legally to turn over the tapes to an officer/detective unless they have a court order or subpoena.
Isn't withholding evidence a crime?
@thesabre: How cute. You think the detective is going to do his job and follow up on it.
Are you Canadian?
@Shadowfire:
There is no evidence that the police have subpoenaed the tape. The store doesn't have to voluntarily give it up.
What did the assigned detective say(they give you their card). If it were me I would go to his supervisor and explain. Then to local government and the paper/news!
The Police are the ones that need the push(in criminal actions)if anyone does, the company is looking out for itself in any civil actions.
seems like an easy situation to solve.
watch the manager walk to his car. then, the next night, douse his car in gasoline and set it ablaze.
it would help if you laugh maniacally while doing it.
@VicMatson: This is exactly right. If you want to be mad at anyone, you should be mad at the police for not subpoenaing the tapes. Call up the detective and see how the case is going, bring up getting the tapes and see what his response is. If you don't like what you hear, escalate.
I think at this point the motto "Shoppers Bite Back" is obsolete.
"The Consumerist: Shoppers blame the victim" is more relevant.
That said, the manager is a slime ball and I can't see why Rite Aid would be intentionally difficult.
my gf was recently yelled at in a Rite Aid in Cary NC because she wheeled her bicycle around with her in the store and used her bike basket as her cart because there were no places for her to secure it outside. the employees were fine with it, but the manager asked her to leave the store and was apparently very mean to her about it.
no worries...she left and we will never go back again!
i know people will say YOU SHOULDNT TAKE YOUR BICYCLE INSIDE A STORE BLAH BLAH BLAH LIABILITY THIS THAT BLAH BLAH but there were literally NO places to lock it up outside. anyone with a nice bike knows that you would rather keep it with you than take a chance leaving it outside and unsecured. also, it was not scuffing up the floors or anything.
no matter what, she is 29 years old and does not deserve to be talked to in the manner that the manager talked to her.
"Not helping" is a lot different than "obstructing justice"...
@Edge23: "What was the point posting this on consumerist? Robberies and crimes occur each day in the country."
This is a story about a company intentionally screwing over one of their customers, which is exactly what the Consumerist reports about. As has been said numerous times before, if you don't like the content, don't visit the site.
Nowadays you have to make sure the police follow through with an investigation or it will just get filed and forgotten.
@Edge23:
You have a point on why they're slow to respond. Though I think it is a weak reason. Somebody was attacked and the culprit needs to be caught.
Spelling nitpick: rein and reign are two different words with two different meanings. You kids should look them up in the dictionary.
@thesabre I Have read your absurd comments. Either you are a. under medical treatment and taking high dosages of anti-psychotics or b. You are still in high school and living with Mommy and Daddy.
T
when it comes to people whining about the posted return policy about a restocking fee or trying to return a camcorder they bought 11 months ago, I will side with the company every time. In most situations the company did what they should. This is a little different. I would not have given the tapes to the husband, but happily handed them over to the police. This is not a situation where the manager should stand his ground. Give up the tapes!
@Sanveann:
I am sorry you are tired of the wholly tangential, yet perfectly valid anecdotal example I gave. Thank you for your opinion, we take it very seriously.
@calvinneal: So thesabre is pyscotic for believing just a little bit that our police are not total morons? Grow up.
@Skyoodpov: I always have to say this: The woman who successfully sued McDonald's was 80 and had never been involved in a lawsuit in her life. Her vagina was damaged and required surgery just for her to be able to use the restroom properly.
Of course it could be her fault for being 80 and having tired skin. Or McDonald's could have slightly cooler coffee, better lids...something.
I do have to say that I have NEVER put hot coffee between my legs. I can't imagine someone doing that. Get a cup holder, or go inside.
Court Subpeona
@Papa Midnight: Elaboration: Grab an attorney, request a court subpeona. Deliver. Instant Cooperation. No one wants to hinder a police investigation now do they :P
You mean the investigation was turned over to a detective and yet, you still contacted Home Office to try and help? That's very nice of you, but let the police do their job. People like you, while they have good intentions, usually do more to hinder an investigation than help it.