LINCOLN SQUARE — A man threatened and chased the employee of a Lincoln Square store on Thursday afternoon, with the entire incident clearly captured on surveillance video.
According to Salman Ali, owner of Palette Fragrances & Cosmetics at 4819 N. Western Ave., the man entered his shop shortly before 3 p.m. Thursday under the guise of shopping for a gift for his girlfriend.
He can be seen pacing in the video, while the female Palette employee attempts to offer him assistance in selecting an item.
He wanders toward the back exit and can be heard saying, "I have to do this" or "I hate to do this."
The employee had the "fast instinct to feel something wasn't right and jolted [sic] out the front door with the man chasing behind her," Ali told DNAinfo via email.
Police confirmed Ali's account. The entire incident lasted for approximately two minutes.
"It's very disturbing to know such a person is in our neighborhood. Who knows what he could be capable of and what his intentions were because he didn't steal anything, he was solely after her to do her harm," Ali said.
The woman was not injured. The man was last seen running east on Lawrence, wearing a t-shirt, dark pants and a Blackhawks cap.
Palette Fragrances & Cosmetics, at 4819 N. Western Ave. [Google]
