Teen Spots Creepy Man Approaching Little Girl At Store & Acts Fast To ‘Protect’ Her

Aug 16, 2023

It can be hard to stand up to strangers in public when you suspect something is wrong, more so when you are still a teenager. People deserve their space and, to a certain extent, privacy when they are out and about, and you don’t want to appear rude or intrusive when you approach them. Even if something seems off, not knowing the context in certain situations can cause you to hesitate to act as if you don’t want to bother people or invade their space, or come off as a busybody. 

However, there are times when suspicious situations, even when witnessed from afar, give you a bad feeling. Those gut instincts can be very hard to ignore as well, and you may feel compelled to jump in and take action or at least inquire about the situation. This feeling can be amplified when the health and safety of other people are involved, and hesitating to act could be costly.

Such was the case for one 17-year-old in Boston, Massachusetts, who knew he could not simply stand back and watch as a young girl potentially faced horrendous danger. His alert levels were heightened by a man’s suspicious behavior, and he intuitively knew he had to act on his hunch. 

In November 2016, Cameron Cook was out shopping with his mother at a Target in the South Bay Plaza when he came across a man who appeared oddly fixated on a little girl pushing a shopping trolley on her own. While the man, who appeared to be in his 50s, was not technically breaking any rules or laws, an uneasy feeling in Cameron had begun to surface, and he knew he couldn’t simply walk away.

At the Target store, Cameron continued watching the man, who was still preoccupied with the girl, whose parents or guardians did not appear to be anywhere nearby. Feeling like the man was a little too close for comfort, Cameron drew his mother’s attention to him. He told CBS News he simply could not ignore the situation.

“I seen the guy grabbing himself, and my mom goes, ‘Cam let's go, keep walking,’ I was like, no, something's going on,” he said.

Cameron said the man had a “demonic look” on his face, while his mother described him as smelling distinctly of alcohol. 

“I was close enough that I could smell the liquor coming from his mouth,” Cameron's mother, Heather Cook, said. “It was horrible.”

When Cameron witnessed the man suddenly pushing himself on the girl, who was startled by the move, the teen jumped into action.

“So I went up to him, I was like, ‘Excuse me sir, do you know her?’ And then the first thing he said was, ‘I’m not a pervert, I’m not a pervert.’ I was like, I didn’t ask you that sir,” Cameron told the outlet. The responses the man was giving, and his defensive attitude only served to make Cameron more distrustful of him. As the altercation continued, Cameron decided not to take any chances with the man and knew he had to take it a step further.

Cameron told CBS News he then suggested the man leave the store. Cameron’s persistence paid off as, after a few moments, the man stormed out of the store, cursing while making his way out.

Heather lauded her son and told CBS News the stranger “was big, and Cameron had no fear at all. He just stood firm on the fact that he knew what this man was doing was wrong.”

She added that while she was proud of her son’s actions and resolve, even in the face of a man who appeared almost twice his age, it was “totally within his character.” 

“He’s not afraid to do what’s right,” she continued.

Cameron was grateful that he had been in the right place at the right time. “I’m just happy I was there to protect her,” he said. “Because you never know what could have went on.”

It was later learned that the child’s mother had been in the bathroom at the time of the incident. Surveillance footage from the store showed the man had climbed into a waiting vehicle outside the store. According to CBS Boston, the footage was later turned over to the police.

Boston police later issued a warning to parents to always keep an eye on their young children when out in public. Not only was Cameron recognized by the local council for his heroic actions, but a month later, the Celtics also paid tribute to the teenager through its Heroes Among Us award program. However, Cameron said his only hope is that his actions will serve to inspire others.

“Anybody should just have the courage to stand up,” Cameron told the Boston Herald. “It’s not even about courage, it’s just being a person, a human — anyone can step up and do something like that.”

Were you impressed with the actions of the brave young man? Do you think more people should stand up for what’s right when out in public? Let us know, and pass this along to friends and family to get their take on the situation.