COVID hug man, Police look to identify suspect who gave 'Covid hug' at Walmart

COVID hug man,  Police look to identify suspect who gave 'Covid hug' at Walmart.

Springfield police are looking to identify  a man they say gave someone a 'COVID hug' at Walmart...and they say it's not the first time.

The latest incident is alleged to have happened on Sunday, August 15th at around 7:10 p.m. at the Walmart on Boston Road.

The Springfield Police Department posted about the incident Friday, asking for the public's help.

"This suspect took an item out of a victims hands and then gave him a hug. He told the victim "Just giving you a COVID hug. You now have COVID." The suspect then started laughing and walked away," police say.

They tell us the victim, who is a cancer survivor, had never seen the suspect before. 

"This suspect had done this to other customers as well," police noted. 

"It’s not a joke," said Springfield resident Carolyn Cruz.

The spokesperson for the Springfield Police Department, Ryan Walsh, told Western Mass News that one of the victims was a cancer survivor.

"He is a high-risk person, so he was given medical attention and a test," Walsh explained.

With coronavirus concerns still impacting the nation, Walsh said that their department does not consider this to be a laughing matter.

"He could be charged for assault and battery for the hug. He could be charged with making terrorist threats," he said. "I know it sounds a little wild on that end, but it’s kind of similar to making a false bomb threat, if he was COVID-19 positive and knowingly COVID-19 positive, and he transmitted it, there could be serious charges tacked on."

Customers said the incident is alarming.

"We’re trying to keep safe, and there’s someone around here trying to hug you and then telling you you have COVID-19, that’s something to worry about," Cruz noted.

Do you recognize him?

If so, please contact the Springfield Police Detective Bureau at 413-787-6355 or text an anonymous tip to 'CRIMES' (274637) and in the message type 'solve' and then add your tip.

Western Mass News has reached out to Walmart for a statement, but have yet to receive a response.  

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