Renton police need help identifying this man suspected of Walmart groping

Police are seeking a man in a suspected groping in Walmart. Security cameras show him. He is described as a black man in his 30s. He is about 6 feet tall with a slim build. He was wearing a black leather jacket, dark skinny jeans with holes in the front and back pockets and loafer-style shoes. (Photo from Renton Police Department)

RENTON, Wash. -- Police say investigators need help in identifying a man who is suspected of groping a 10-year-old girl and trying to lure another girl at the Renton Walmart on Sunday.

Police went to the Walmart at 743 Rainier Ave. about 2 p.m. Sunday. A girl and her 10-year-old cousin said they were shopping with family and noticed a man walking in the same aisles as they were.

The man is seen on surveillance video following and watching the young girl, He then talks to her for a bit before walking away with her off screen.

"That's the concern, we don't know what happened to this little girl after they walked off the frame,” said Renton Police Commander David Leibman

When the girls were alone, the man groped the rear of one the girls. Then he asked them if they were interested in board games and offered to give them money for games. He left and couldn't be found.

Later Sunday, police got a report that a man approached a 5-year-old girl in the same Walmart about 9 p.m. and tried to lure her by offering her cookies.

“It’s shocking, unbelievable and disgusting,” said concerned parent Andrea Mills. "In this day in age you do have to keep a closer eye and I think that's unfortunate but I think it's good to teach your kids to stay right by you at all times and keep an eye on your kids."

Police say officers couldn't find the groping on security footage, but did find footage of the man following another young girl just before the 2 p.m. incident. The video shows that the man and girl had some contact and talked. Police want to identify the girl to make sure that she is safe.

The man is described as black. He is in his 30s and about 6 feet tall with a slim build. During the earlier incidents, he was wearing a maroon baseball capt, black leather jacket, dark skinny jeans with holes in the front and on the back pockets. He was likely wearing loafer-style shoes.

Video shows that same man entering the store about 7:30 p.m. He was wearing the same clothes, but was not wearing the baseball cap.

"If we have him doing this three times in one store in one day, there’s a good chance he's been doing this all over the place,” said Leibman. “We all go holiday shopping and we want to believe the best in everybody and so we trust our children to be out of sight for a short period of time and he’s taking advantage of that.”

Police ask that if you have information on the man or the girl in the photo, call Detective Jarratt at 425-430-7526 or by email at tjarratt@rentonwa.gov

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