Sheriff clears up rumors of human trafficking incident at Hardeeville Walmart

Updated: Jan. 19, 2018 at 5:15 AM EST
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HARDEEVILLE, SC (WTOC) - The Jasper County Sheriff's Office is clearing things up about an incident at the Walmart in Hardeeville last Friday.

This after a Facebook post labeling the incident as "a human trafficking scare" has been shared more than 1,300 times.

Sheriff Chris Malphrus says details of the incident seem to have been misconstrued. After being investigated, he says there is no evidence to believe it was in any way involved or related to human trafficking or kidnapping. It was more of a suspicious person event. He says a woman reported three men made her feel uncomfortable while she was shopping and she asked a Walmart employee to escort her to her vehicle. She waited two hours before reporting the incident to the Sheriff's Office.

The sheriff released a statement saying in part, "As sheriff, I would like to remind everyone, always keep a close eye on your children while shopping, always be aware of your surroundings, and when something of this nature occurs, always call 911 immediately. You can never be too careful."

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