Shopping center alert: inappropriate child labor

Last Word | June 8th, 2016

Nikki Berglund was in her restaurant, Luna Fargo, 1545 University Drive South, in the Southside Shopping Center, at the beginning of the lunch rush.

“A little boy around four years old came in by himself and was selling plastic flowers with pens attached.”

“We asked what he was selling them for and he said so he could ‘go to Disneyland’”

He had no adult with him. Berglund asked him where his mom was. “He pointed to a vehicle outside. At no point did he make eye contact with me while I was talking to him.”

Berglund walked out to the car. There was no one in it. “I then looked all the way to the end of the shopping center, which was way down the block, and there was some lady with a basket.” They were both dressed nicely andboth had baskets.

Berglund asked if that were her son. “She said no, it was her nephew.” She was missingmost ofher teeth.

“I told her I didn’t think it was appropriate that such a young boy was out selling stuff by himself. She looked at me very coldly and said with zero emotion, ‘I apologize, ma’am, it won’t happen again.’”

Berglund’s restaurant was busy and she had to go back inside. When she had time to go back out, they were gone.

The same boy entered Harold’s Photo Experts, 1801 45th Street S, in the 45th Street Marketplace Shopping Center, and tried to sell pens. Kevin Taylor told him they didn’t want any. Then he went into the Smash Burger next door.

Last week, the same two entered Classic Jewelers, 4302 13th Ave S. The boy was learning how to sell the pens. The lady stood in the doorway and coached him. On this day, he was loud and boisterous. Pamela Hartwig spoke to him.

At Luna Fargo and at Classic Jewelers, the boy sold a pen, for three dollars.

Two of the three businesses were in strip malls. All three were upmarket, nice places. All three businesses were busy at the time. Nikki, Kevin, and Pamela had customers waiting, no time to check on the boy or the lady’s car. Were the businesses chosen for that reason, or did the lady and boy just go from door to door, one end to the other? All three agree that the boy is about four years old.

All three sightings were close to 13th Avenue South, which suggests that she cruises 13th looking for strip malls on it or close to it, on north-south arterials.

Please, if you see these people, take down their license plate.

YOU SHOULD KNOW

Fargo Police Department (701) 235-4493

Cass County Social Services (701) 241-5765

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