TikToker documenting ‘solo date’ captures stranger following her around California Barnes & Noble store

• The incident happened to Michaela Witter, 28, at the Burbank’s Town Center 
• It left her unnerved as she has no idea what the suspect had been trying to do
• Still at large, he is seen crouching low and getting extremely close to her legs

A TikToker taking part in a filmed ‘solo date’ captured the moment a stranger invaded her personal space – by sneaking up behind her while her back’s turned and coming dangerously close and between her legs.

It’s not the first time the creep has approached unsuspecting women, others claim. 

The latest incident happened at the Town Center shopping mall in Burbank, and has left 28-year-old influencer Michaela Witter feeling ‘violated’ as she has no idea what the still-at large suspect was trying to accomplish. 

In the video, the man – after following an unwitting Witter around the store for several minutes – is seen crouching down low and getting extremely close to Witter’s legs. He is later seen doing the same thing to another woman browsing nearby.

Thankfully, the social media star was able to turn around in time, after her camera – supposed to chronicle a relaxing trip to the bookstore – captured the assault and allowed her to see the creep coming. 

After being confronted by an outraged Witter and asked what he was doing, the man claimed to be tying his shoes. Witter has since reported the incident to police, who are reportedly now using her footage to find the man.

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The incident at the Burbank Barnes and Noble has left 28-year-old influencer Michaela Witter feeling violated’, as she has no idea what the still-at large suspect had been trying to do

In the video, the man – after following an unwitting Witter around the store for several minutes – is seen crouching down low and getting extremely close to Witter’s legs. He is later seen doing the same thing to another woman browsing nearby, and is now being sought by cops

She also posted the clip to her 60,000 followers on social media, where she has amassed a massive following showcasing empowering activities that women can do alone. She is heard recalling her experience in the now-viral video.

‘It felt like anywhere I moved, he kept following me,’ she said of the clip, and how what started as just another video turned into an unforgettable experience that left her feeling ‘stalked and violated.’

‘I recorded just in case he was trying to say anything or do anything to me,’ the internet personality, who has amassed nearly 300,000 subscribers on YouTube, added.

‘But I definitely did not expect him to do this.’

The clip shows how Witter was not only nearly accosted by the man, but also watched from afar during the outing.

It culminates with the moment that the social media star eventually caught on, after the tall, dark-skinned suspect is seen checking behind him before crouching down behind the woman’s backside.

The man – with a tattoo on his left hand – is seen starting to tie his shoes, before suddenly stopping and shuffling closer to Witter.

At this point, the man’s face is mere inches from the influencer, facing toward her behind. 

She also posted the clip to her 60,000 followers on social media, where she has amassed a massive following showcasing empowering activities that women can do alone

It culminates with the moment that the social media star eventually caught on, after the tall, dark-skinned suspect is seen checking behind him before crouching down behind the woman’s backside 

The man – with a tattoo on his left hand – is seen starting to tie his shoes, before suddenly stopping and shuffling closer to Witter 

He was later filmed doing the same thing to another woman browsing nearby, appearing to tie his shoes once again

Witter reported the incident to Burbank Police and posted the video to TikTok and social media

Cops are reportedly looking into whether the suspect is the same man with a long criminal history of peeping, prowling and residential burglary in Glendale, after Witter said people who made the video go viral due them having ‘experienced this [kind of] harassment from men’

Replying to @cristalcruz46 thank you to everyone who shared their experience with this same man. It made them take the matter more seriously knowing its happened on multiple occasions #stalker

When Witter turns around to confront the man, he appears taken aback and claims he was tying his shoes. Witter disagreed.

‘He wasn’t,’ Witter says in an overlaid narration in the clip, which has amassed more than 2million views since its posting Wednesday. 

‘He was pretending to,’ she adds, her voice laden with emotion after the scary experience. ‘His shoes were tied.’

Witter went on to film the man attempting the same act on another woman, before marching over to a staffer stationed at the store’s front desk to report what had happened.

After some initial hesitance to accept Witter’s video and photo evidence substantiating her claims, the cashier is seen getting a store manager, who Witter proceeds to bring up to speed.

The store – which did not immediately respond to a Thursday request for comment – is now said to be working with officers from the Burbank Police department to provide more footage of the suspect, who has yet to be identified.

Witter has thousands of followers on social media, thanks to videos that show off empowering activities that women can do alone

It happened recently at the Town Center shopping mall in Burbank, at this Barnes and Noble

‘It’s really scary and it’s scary that he is still out there,’ Witter, 28, told KTLA-5 in an interview Wednesday, as cops were still searching for the man in the footage

Witter said Burbank police are working with Barnes & Noble to gather more security footage of the suspect

Replying to @tina the fact that people recognize him and he did the dame thing to them. Digusting. Thank you all again for the kind words. You all are so amazing 💗

After posting the video, Witter released a follow-up video stating that others have  contacted her claiming to have recognized the man in the footage, who the influencer said ‘did the same thing to them.’

‘A lot of women were very sympathetic because they have experienced this harassment from men and stalking’.

‘The fact that people recognize him,’ she wrote in an accompanying caption, is ‘disgusting.’

She added cops are currently looking into whether the suspect is a man who’s already repeatedly been through the system, with a long criminal history of peeping, prowling and residential burglary in Glendale, KTLA reported.

‘It’s really scary and it’s scary that he is still out there,’ she told the station. 

‘Thank you to everyone who shared their experience with this same man,’ she added in a post to social media. ‘It made them take the matter more seriously knowing its happened on multiple occasions.’

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