10 year old Sammy Green was walking home from school in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, last week when a woman started following him. She told Sammy that she was friends with his father and tried to get him to go with her to a nearby Wawa convenience store where she said he could have whatever he wanted.
Sammy knew that this didn't seem right so instead of going with the woman, the fourth-grader stepped inside a gift shop, walked straight to 17-year-old cashier Hannah Daniels and whispers in her ear, “Act like you're my mom. This lady is following me." Footage from the store’s security camera then shows Hannah walk to the door and lock it with the woman outside.
Sammy’s dad Sam Green is proud that his son followed his advice about strangers and being aware of his surroundings, but he gets emotional watching the footage. He doesn’t want to consider what could have happened. "To see my child looking for help because he was afraid basically for his life," the father says, "that cuts you deep." And he says it’s a lesson for any parent. "Think of every scenario and make sure that children know and also practice it," Green says. "Practice your situations and scenarios just like fire drills."
Pottstown police located the woman and have referred her for mental health services.