A Massachusetts man seen in a video confronting a woman who said he followed her in Groveland earlier this week will face charges, police said Thursday.
The 65-year-old Groveland resident, who hasn't been named, will be charged with disorderly conduct and disturbing the peace over the incident on Monday, police announced.
They began investigating when Julia Santos, a 21-year-old who is Black, told officers about the incident with a white man in a car who told her, "I don't feel safe with you driving around in my neighborhood."
Santos said told investigators she had picked up free dog food from a home about a mile from her house after seeing a Facebook ad saying the neighbor had too much, according to police.
But as she was heading back home, police said, the 65-year-old man began following her in his vehicle, turning around several times before getting into an altercation with her.
Santos told NBC10 Boston this week that she feared for her life and does not know why the man was trailing her. She said that the incident was evidence racism is still alive in small towns today.
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Groveland police Chief Jeffrey Gillen said Santos was doing nothing wrong.
An investigation showed that the man "disturbed neighbors" during the encounter, according to the police statement, and caused one motorist to drive off the roadway to avoid his vehicle during the verbal altercation.
The man will summonsed to Haverhill District Court at a later date for a hearing, police said.
Video captured the exchange between the man and Santos.
"I left and I saw you follow me all the way here, and I turned up here 'cause, quite frankly, I don't feel safe right now," she said to the man in a convertible in the video she recorded.
"I don't feel safe with you driving around my neighborhood," the man responded.
"Why?" she asked.
"There's just too many people," he said.
"Too many people? Or is it cause I'm Black? Is that why?" she said.
He said it was not, and Santos asked if the man was sure.
"I don't know what color you are," he replied. "What color are you?"
"I just said I'm Black, and is that why you followed me?" she asked.
"That's good, you're Black," he said. "Congratulations."
