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Woman's warning about strange item on windshield wiper goes viral

A woman's social media warning has gone viral after she found a strange item on her windshield.

Michigan college student Ashley Hardacre's Facebook post has been shared more than 100,000 times.

Hardacre said she was walking to her car at night in the mall parking lot where she works when she saw a flannel shirt wrapped around her windshield wiper.

She also noticed two cars parked nearby, one running.

She said she got right in her car and drove away to somewhere where she could safely remove it.

Action News Jax Crime and Safety Expert Ken Jefferson said that decision may have saved her life.

"Don't entertain it there, where you found it. Get in your car, lock your doors, get out of there and make sure no one is following you. Get to a safe place, then check it out," said Jefferson.

Jacksonville shopper Sheanna Sanders said she would have gone back inside and asked for help.

"I probably wouldn't approach the car," said Sanders. "As women, we need to be a little more aware of our surroundings and make sure that we know what we're walking into, just even our own house or our own car."

In October, a woman on Jacksonville's Westside reported she was sexually assaulted and robbed after her attacker placed a garbage can behind her car.

When she went to move it, she said he put a gun to her head.

"These are all things that are done to lure you away from what you're really doing," said Jefferson.

In his decades in law enforcement, Jefferson said he's also seen criminals place a note on windshields, leave a package by cars, or even fake a crash to try to lure a victim.

Some important advice to keep in mind, especially for people walking to their cars late at night.

Posted by Action News Jax on Wednesday, February 22, 2017