A content creator is going viral on TikTok after sharing a not-so-pleasant experience she said she had at a Whole Foods located in north Austin, Texas.
Dana (@danaa_bana) said that she used to “love” going to this Whole Foods location, which is attached to a shopping center known as the Domain. However, after Dana noticed a suspicious man following her around the store, she suggested that she no longer felt comfortable buying groceries there.
“I’ve been seeing a lot of videos on weird things happening to people at the Domain,” Dana said. “And something weird happened to me today.” She noted, too, that this isn’t the first time that she’s been followed or had “something weird” happen to her at a grocery store. As of Saturday, her clip had amassed more than 146,800 views.
What happened at Whole Foods?
Dana said that she was only a few minutes into shopping when she noticed that a man was always in the same aisle as her.
“So I finished my shopping, [and went] to the hot bar,” she said.
But, according to Dana, the man trailed her.
“The guy is there,” she said. “He’s just walking around.”
To test whether he was following her, specifically, Dana said she spent nearly 15 minutes at the hot bar. Still, she noticed the man was always in the same place as her. Dana said that he also followed her to the store’s self-checkout.
When it was time for Dana to leave, she said she attempted to go out the exit that was furthest away from Whole Foods’ self-checkout station.
But, “as I’m walking out to the other door, who is walking out on the other side of me?” Dana asked. She said, too, that the man’s movements were “in sync” with hers. At this point, Dana noted that she was particularly scared because she was with her toddler and concerned about the stranger’s intentions. So, to avoid a face-to-face interaction with the man, Dana said she “instantly [stopped] in [her] tracks.”
“I decided that I was going to stand right there in the middle of the store,” she said.
Dana said she got in contact with her husband and told him that she wasn’t leaving Whole Foods because she didn’t feel safe. But the stranger apparently didn’t feel like leaving, either. Dana said she noticed him meandering outside and around Whole Foods and that the two made eye contact a number of times.
Eventually, Dana said she asked a Whole Foods employee to walk her to her car. She ended her five-minute TikTok with a PSA to viewers. “If it looks suspicious, it is suspicious,” she said. “Y’all be safe out here and be aware of your surroundings. Anything can happen in a split second.”
She doubled down on this sentiment in the accompanying video caption. “I used to love going to the Domain,” she wrote. “Be careful over there.”
@danaa_bana I use to love going to the Domian 🙃 be careful over there 🥲 #ATX #domainatx #fyp #foryoupageofficiall ♬ original sound – Dana Bana ❤️
Is the Domain a hub for violence?
Though it’s important to not dismiss stories like Dana’s, data shows that violent crime at the Domain is relatively rare. In fact, according to KrimeLabb, an Austin-based crime statistics monitoring site, only car burglaries and reported assaults are trending upwards.
CBS News Austin, which cited KrimeLabb’s data, also noted that assaults in the Domain area have increased, with 60 reported in 2017 and just under 50 in 2016.
And as of 2022, property crimes have also increased, according to KXAN. It reported that Austin’s police department received 44 car burglary reports in June 2022—up from nine the month prior.
Then- APD Senior Officer Frank Creasy, at the time, offered safety tips to residents and shoppers. Those include moving your car to different spots if you’re shopping at multiple stores, alerting 911 if you see a suspicious person, and not leaving valuables in your car.
Viewers react to content creator’s horror story
In the comments section of Dana’s video, several women, from the Austin area, said that they’ve heard of similar things happening.
“The domain is going downhill fast,” one viewer said. “This is like the 5th thing I’ve heard. Glad y’all are okay.”
“Im from Austin but currently live on the outskirts because Austin is getting crazier,” another added.
Others shared safety tips that they’ve acquired over the years.
“I’m always super vocal if I notice ANYONE in the same aisle as me several times,” one person shared.
“Ladies take a picture of the person. Loudly say on the phone, ‘Honey sending you a pic of someone I’m uncomfortable with just in case,’” another advised.
“This is why I started doing pick up [orders] at regular grocery stores,” a third woman added. “Drive up is best at this point!!”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Dana via TikTok comment and to the Domain by email.
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