MSCO: Man at Target parking lot asks mother and child if they wanted to die

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Workers at the Target in Chili called 911 after a frightening ordeal for a woman and her daughter. We first learned about this from a post on social media.

The woman says she and her daughter were approached by a man Monday night in the Target parking lot.

Monroe County deputies say the man was behaving erratically and asked the mother and child if they wanted to die. By the time police arrived, the man had left.

Investigators think they know the man, say he’s homeless, and they’ve tried to get help for him in the past.

“We’ve tried to get him somewhere so he can go to a shelter, unfortunately, an individual who is suffering some type of illness, we can’t force them to accept our help,” said Captain Pat Rojas of the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. “It is an unfortunate incident, our deputies do a fantastic job when things like this happen, they try to get the individual help, and if a crime is committed, we will do what is necessary, if a crime is committed.”

In a statement to News10NBC, Target officials say safety is their priority in and outside their stores. The company is cooperating with law enforcement as they investigate.