Boots, the president of Bikers Against Predators, talks to a Warsaw Police Officer after the incident Sunday, March 6, in the Kroger parking lot in Warsaw. InkFreeNews photo by Dan Spalding.

By Dan Spalding
InkFreeNews

WARSAW – An apparent meet-up Sunday at a Starbucks inside a Warsaw Kroger store turned into another opportunity for Bikers Against Predators.

This time, though, the man in question, bolted from the store with the help of two others after being confronted shortly after 1 p.m. Sunday, March 6.

Bikers Against Predators, of Goshen, has a growing following online and is one of hundreds of groups embracing a vigilante-style form of justice against those who prey on youngsters. They do it by capturing conversations, setting a trap and then confronting them. They rely heavily on apps, video and social media.

And much of it is on the web.

Bikers Against Predators has played a role in numerous arrests of alleged predators in the past year in north-central Indiana. Exactly how many is unclear.

Sunday’s attempt marked the 91st person to be confronted since the group was established 13 months ago, said the group’s president, who has declined to identify himself and goes by Boots.

On Sunday, a female decoy playing the role of a 15-year-old girl, met a man in his 20s with green hair and a beard – in the parking lot of Kroger’s on East Center Street. The two then headed inside and over to Starbucks.

Minutes later, with an estimated 1,500 Facebook fans watching live, Boots, wearing a GoPro camera attached to his chest, confronted the man who had just finished paying for a drink.

In the video, Boots talks to the man for about ten minutes as the man explains and at times defends himself. At one point, he admits “it might have been a bad idea.”

The attempted takedown ended when two women suddenly arrived, grabbed the man and hustled him out the door.

Boots continued to capture video and trailed the three out of the store and recorded a license plate before they left the parking lot.

Warsaw Police were alerted to the situation after it happened. An officer arrived and talked with Boots and the woman.

The 22-year-old decoy, who also declined to give her name, was all smiles afterward while discussing the circumstances with Boots in the parking lot.

Three hours after the incident, the Facebook video collected more than 1,000 comments, many supportive of the effort.

A manager for Kroger’s watched the scene outside and said the store would consider banning the man depending on what they learn later.

A spokesman for Warsaw Police said they do not have a report, but added that it may take a few days.

Since the man has not been arrested, InkFreeNews is not using his name or his image.

Boots said online conversations before the meet-up are designed to determine if the person knows the individual they are conversing with is underage.

Boots said they do not seek out people and that they wait for conversations to be initiated by others on social media.

He said few of the cases they’ve investigated have led to convictions.