WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) – A sex offender whose registered address was at the Walmart in Wilmington is behind bars after a violation last week in Raleigh.
Brian Lewis lived in his car in the parking lot of the retail giant and called that home for months, but neither shoppers nor store employees had any clue.
Walmart wouldn't comment about the incident but released the following statement:
This is not something we are aware of at any of our stores around the country. We have safety and security measures in place. That includes monitoring the parking lots. Whenever we have a situation with individuals in the parking lots for an extended period of time, we will work with law enforcement officers to maintain a safe environment.
According to Cpl. Jerry Brewer with the New Hanover County Sheriff's Office, the public is responsible for knowing where sex offenders live.
The sheriff's office has a link to the state's sex offender registry on their website, so residents can easily check to see if someone lives in their neighborhood.
[Click here to visit the sex offender registry]
On the website you can register for email or text notifications regarding the state's offender registry. You can also type in your address to see if any offenders live nearby.
"If anyone has an issue with a sex offender being at their business or located near their business, they can call the sheriff's office and we will look into the situation," explained Brewer.
Homeless shelters in New Hanover County do not permit convicted sex offender which could be the reason several who are homeless register businesses as their address.
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