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'A woman tried to hold my baby. I think her motive was sinister'

“I had easily the most unsettling experience I’ve ever had as a mother." 

A mum has sent chills down the spine of the internet with a warning no parent likely saw coming. 

Now she wants others to add her new found red flag to their warning systems. 

“I had easily the most unsettling experience I’ve ever had as a mother this morning,” Alexa said.  

While the mum was left fairly shaken up, she wanted to share her story to TikTok “to inform, not to spread fear.”  

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A stranger asking for help

Alexa had just finished parking her car at the grocery store when a woman approached her. 

“She said that she had parked her car too close to the car next to it and was unable to get back into her car to back it out,” the mother explained. 

The woman asked her if she would be able to help.  

“She asked me if I would back her car out for her and offered multiple times to hold my daughter while I backed her car out for her,” Alexa shared. 

Sensing something felt wrong, Alexa remembered a TikTok video she had seen recently which pointed out the red flags of a similar situation. 

“[The TikTok creator] sharing her experience, I believe, helped me know how to navigate this in the best and most productive way possible,” she said. 

@lex.leech

Posting to inform, not to spread fear 💛

♬ original sound - Lex

'I fully believe this was a setup' 

On closer inspection of the car she noticed something strange.

“Her car was parked in one space and with, about maybe a foot space in between, there was an old beat up van parked on the other side of the driver seat of her car,” Alexa revealed. 

The mum was firm. It was a hard no. But she offered to find her other help instead.

However, the stranger turned down her offer claiming she would find help on her own.  

“I intentionally offered to get her other help to ensure that for one, if she needed help she would get help, but to kind of see 'do you actually want my help or do you want to hold my daughter?'” the mum said. 

The woman denied help and instead said she’d find it on her own, but Alexa decided to linger around in the store to see if she would come inside for help. She didn’t. 

“I saw multiple people walk by her car. None of whom had children and she did not stop and ask any of them for help."

Alexa reported the woman to staff inside the store as well as authorities.

Upon finishing her grocery shop Alexa requested that a staff member walk her and her daughter to her car for safety. 

“I fully believe this was a setup and that the motives behind it were sinister. I could be wrong, but I really just wanted to spread this information,” Alexa said.  

Alexa wants other parents to use her experience as a warning system. Image: lex.leech
Alexa wants other parents to use her experience as a warning system. Image: lex.leech

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'They’ll intentionally use women to target other women'

The comment section agreed that Alexa’s instinct had been correct. 

“'She parked her car too close?' She can’t back it out but you can? Glad you guys are safe,” one commenter pointed out.

“This is such an important message, thanks for making the video! It’s especially sad that they’ll intentionally use women to target other women,” another praised.

“That’s horrifying! Thank you for sharing for those who have a hard time noticing those things quickly,” a third added. 

A fourth agreed: “It’s always so good to post stuff like this because then we all know what to look for.” 

The mother says she truly likes to see the best in people. 

“I have a little bit of a tendency to people please. I will just tell you when it comes to my daughter, I don’t play,” Alexa warned. 

“I’m not going to in any way compromise her safety or hand her over to stranger.” 

Originally published as 'A woman tried to hold my baby. I think her motive was sinister'

Original URL: https://www.couriermail.com.au/lifestyle/parenting/a-woman-tried-to-hold-my-baby-i-think-her-motive-was-sinister/news-story/6a8ff7c807e6669855ff8ea71f0942eb