Dollar Tree stores nationwide have been cited in lawsuits as alleged targets for “public gooning” incidents, including disturbing attacks on shoppers (KNSD).
A Colorado mother has filed a lawsuit against Dollar Tree, alleging that a man ejaculated on her while she was shopping inside one of the discount retailer’s stores with her child. The complaint argues that inadequate staffing and poor security created the conditions for what her attorneys describe as a horrifying “public gooning” assault.
“This never should have happened,” Morgan Carroll, an attorney representing the woman, told The Denver Post in a statement. “Dollar Tree has known about a pattern of serious safety issues impacting its customers and employees, particularly involving sexual assaults. Chronic short staffing and lack of investment in security measures directly lead to preventable assaults.”
The lawsuit claims that incidents described as “public gooning” and “sharking” have surfaced at Dollar Tree locations around the United States over the past several years. According to the Post, other legal actions in California and beyond have accused suspects of groping shoppers or putting bodily fluids on them inside the stores.
The allegations have also spread widely online, where memes and social media posts about the reported attacks have drawn viral attention. In the Colorado woman’s complaint, her attorneys cite nearly two dozen alleged sexual assaults involving women at Dollar Tree stores between 2018 and 2026, including the incident in Colorado Springs and a separate case in Littleton, Colorado, where a woman was allegedly followed and groped.
“These incidents were clearly foreseeable,” the complaint states.
Attorneys for the woman further allege that the same man accused in her case had previously been connected to a similar incident at another Dollar Tree store in Colorado Springs in 2024. Despite that, the lawsuit claims, the company did not bar him from its locations.
According to the complaint, police later charged the man with indecent exposure and aggravated unlawful sexual contact.
Dollar Tree has not responded to requests for comment about the woman’s lawsuit. When asked about a similar lawsuit filed in San Diego, a company spokesperson told local NBC affiliate KNSD:
The safety and security of our associates and customers are our highest priorities. We take reports of inappropriate, unlawful, or harassing behavior in our stores extremely seriously. Any incident of this nature is unacceptable, and when we become aware of criminal activity, we cooperate fully with law enforcement and support their investigations.
Dollar Tree is committed to having effective safety and security programs. Through policies, training, and operational procedures, we work to maintain a safe and secure environment for associates, customers, and visitors. Our efforts include ongoing safety education, regular policy reviews, risk assessment and mitigation activities, investments in physical security measures, and collaboration with local law enforcement. We continuously evaluate and strengthen these programs as part of our commitment to the wellbeing and safety of everyone in our facilities.
Dollar Tree shoppers told KNSD it’s “disgusting” to hear about what’s been allegedly going on at the stores lately.
“What is wrong with people?” one person said.
The attorney representing the victim in San Diego, Alreen Haeggquist, told KNSD, “This is a phenomenon happening across the country, so much so that there’s a crypto coin for the ‘Dollar Tree Gooner.’ There is a Pokémon card for the ‘Dollar Tree Gooner.’ There’s a soundtrack for this conduct.”
Describing the attack on her client, Haeggquist said, “She kind of noticed the presence of somebody behind her and felt him wipe something on her. She realized it was semen.”
In that case, an active-duty U.S. Marine, identified as 22-year-old Noe Gonzalez Cresencio, is charged with lewd acts and sexual battery.
The post Man follows woman around Dollar Tree as she shops with her child, sneaks up and attacks her from behind with bodily fluids: Lawsuit first appeared on Law & Crime.
