While TikToker Mandy (@allthethingscollective) was at a local convenience store in her town, she saw an older man wearing a pistol come in with a 14 or 15-year-old African American girl.
Right away, Mandy could sense that something was off and wondered if it was a case of human trafficking.
“He’s like rubbing on her all nasty, and she’s wearing a collar, a leather flipping collar,” Mandy said, adding that she followed them on the road, 40 minutes away from her house. She notified the police, describing the car and its license plate number, as she continued chasing down the odd pair.
Two police cars arrived on the scene and pulled this man over. They put him in handcuffs and took him in for questioning. Mandy hopes that the young girl is able to safely return home to her family.
Later, she went to the police department to check on the girl. They gave her a phone number to call, but all they could really tell her was that the girl was okay.
Mandy is urging everyone to live by the rule: If you see something, say something. You might just save someone’s life.
In a follow-up video, she went into more detail about what she saw in the store. At the store, the line was very long. She walked over to the coolers and smelled a terrible stench.
She realized it was this man. He did not have a shoe on his right foot, and his toes were hanging out of a sock or bandage. He obviously hadn’t bathed in quite some time. His hair was matted, and his clothes were ratty.
He told the girl to grab two drinks, and she thanked him. The girl looked clean and had beautiful hair. Mandy decided to pay closer attention to their interactions because it was strange for them to be together.
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She let them go in front of her in line and noticed that the girl was wearing a collar.
No one else seemed overly suspicious of them. So, Mandy took it upon herself to call 911. She is a mom and has five grandchildren, so she is super protective of children.
She hopes that she is able to spread awareness of situations like this so people know what to look out for and to encourage others to listen to their guts.
In the comments section, everyone called her a hero and thanked her for her courage. Some shared similar stories about not ignoring suspicious situations.
“So proud of you for not turning a blind eye, like most do. My daughter’s car broke down last week, and her brother and dad came to help. My son looks white, my husband looks Indian, and she is a subtle mix. They don’t look related, and it was a woman who approached to make sure she was okay. My husband was very impressed by a stranger looking out for her safety,” wrote one user.
“I’ve had to call the police twice on similar situations. Trafficking is a huge issue by me. We are near an international airport,” commented another.
“Thank you so much, ma’am. You are an angel. You saved that girl. Sending so much love and respect to you,” added a third.
By Emily Chan
Emily Chan is a writer who covers lifestyle and news content. She graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in... More about Emily Chan
