A Winlock man is in custody after being accused of inappropriately touching a person inside the Chehalis Walmart, and police continue to investigate similar allegations from a second victim.
Joshua LeBlanc, 35, was charged with one count of fourth-degree assault with sexual motivation.
According to a press release from the Chehalis Police Department, at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, police were called to the 1600 block of Northwest Louisiana Avenue, where a woman called 911 saying her 18-year-old daughter was inappropriately touched by a stranger. The suspect then left the store in a gray passenger car, but not before the mother got a picture of the vehicle.
As officers arrived, they searched the area for the vehicle, but were unable to find it. After talking to the victim, officers learned she had been standing with her mother inside the store, when a man walked up behind her, reached around her and grabbed her. Her mother immediately confronted the man, who left the store.
With the license plate number, witness statements and assistance from Walmart staff, officers were able to allegedly identify the suspect as LeBlanc. Jail records indicate he was booked Thursday.
At around 8:45 a.m. Wednesday, police got a call from another 18-year-old female who reported she was in Walmart at the same time as the first incident. She reported she was in the self-checkout line when someone inappropriately grabbed her.
“This part of the case is still under investigation and further charges may be referred,” read the press release.
Anyone with further information about these incidents or others is encouraged to call the Chehalis Police Department at 360-748-8605.
