A Virginia man shopping at a local Walmart got more than he bargained for when he was suspected of kidnapping his own daughters, WTTG Fox 5 reports.
Joseph, who doesn’t want his family’s last name revealed, told the station that he was met at home by a local police officer tipped off by Walmart security and asked about his children because they are biracial.
Joseph, who is white, and his wife, Keana, who is black, have been married for 10 years and have three daughters – a 4-year-old and 2-year-old twins.
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During a recent trip to a Woodbridge Walmart with his three girls, Joseph tells the station that while he wasn’t there long, but did spend a few extra minutes in the parking lot taking time to buckle the girls into their seats.
According to WTTG, Joseph then drove to pick up Keana, and as they arrived home, a police officer from Prince William County was waiting for them.
"He asks us very sincerely, ‘Hey, I was sent here by Walmart security. I just need to make sure that the children that you have are your own,’” Joseph said.
"I was dumbfounded," Keana told the station. "I sat there for a minute and I thought, ‘Did he just ask us if these were our kids knowing what we went through to have our children?’
"He took my ID and asked my 4-year-old to point out who her mother and father were."
Joseph said the officer told them a Walmart security guard reported seeing him in the parking lot with the girls and thought it was strange.
Keana later called Walmart demanding an explanation. She told WTTG that after asking to speak with a manager, she was transferred to a Walmart security officer, who denied alerting the police. The officer said it was a customer who came forward.
Joseph and Keana don’t plan to shop at Walmart again.
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