SCOTTSDALE, Arizona — It started as an ordinary shopping trip on Monday, but according to two Valley teens, what happened inside Scottsdale Fashion Square Mall left them shaken — and a family member’s account of the encounter has since spread across social media, raising concerns about teen safety in public spaces.
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In a video posted by Summer Christensen, an aunt of one of the teenage girls, mall security can be seen pointing to surveillance footage showing the teens walking into a department store with a man following closely behind.
According to Christensen, the man approached them almost immediately, asking them to help find clothing in their size.
The girls declined and walked away. But that was just the beginning.
“They’re in the makeup area and they noticed that he kept walking by… he was going up and down the escalator. Mind you, on the video there’s two men that are literally with him,” Christensen said.
Christensen says mall security was already tracking the man when a shoe department employee quietly pulled the girls aside, alerting them to additional men posted near the exit and a van parked outside. She told 12News he then escorted the teens to the security office, where they realized they had been followed through the entire store.
“17, 18 years old and they’re just in there shopping, thinking, ‘Hey, here we are having a fun day.’ Summertime. Parents are at work. Kids want to go to the mall and shop,” Christensen said.
Christensen’s post has since been viewed more than 200,000 times. She says her only goal is awareness — not attention.
“I’m not trying to get any kind of clout or anything from it. I just want people to be aware and just pay attention,” she said. “…it’s very creepy… You can’t trust people nowadays… just stay aware of your situations.”
Scottsdale Police detectives have opened a formal investigation into the incident but have been careful to note that nothing yet ties the activity to human trafficking crimes.
Officer Aaron Bolin also pushed back on the notion that traffickers commonly attempt abductions in busy public spaces, explaining that perpetrators typically rely on grooming behavior — online or in person — to gradually gain a victim’s trust before isolating them from family and support systems.
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Scottsdale Police released the following statement to 12News:
“At this time, Scottsdale Police have not received any reports or evidence related to the incident described in the social media post. The Scottsdale Police Department takes all reports and allegations of human trafficking extremely seriously. Every report of suspected human trafficking, child exploitation, or predatory behavior is thoroughly investigated. If anyone has firsthand information regarding this matter, they are encouraged to contact the Scottsdale Police Department, so the information can be properly investigated.”
If you have any information tied to this case, contact the Scottsdale Police Department at 480-312-5000.
To learn more about human trafficking, red flags you shouldn’t ignore and warning signs for parents, go to the MCAO Human Trafficking prevention website.
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