Lewd Act Reported in Hanover Target Parking Lot

HANOVER, MASS. — Police were reportedly called to the Target parking lot in Hanover Wednesday afternoon following a report of a man allegedly engaging in a lewd act inside a vehicle, according to information published by CrimeRadar.

The incident was reported at approximately 2:44 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 18, in the parking lot of the Target store at 1167 Washington St. Target confirms the Hanover store is located at that address.

According to CrimeRadar’s account, which is based on an automated transcription of public safety radio communications, dispatchers received a report involving a male inside a gray 2023 Kia Sportage.

The nature of the alleged conduct was described over the dispatch as a lewd act. Because the information comes from a radio-dispatch transcription rather than a police report or court document, the details should be considered preliminary.

CrimeRadar reported that the vehicle left the parking lot before officers arrived. Police subsequently broadcast information about the vehicle in an effort to locate it.

No suspect was publicly identified in the information reviewed for this developing report, and there was no indication that an arrest had been made in connection with the incident as of publication.

It also was not immediately clear whether anyone was directly victimized or whether the reported conduct was witnessed by a member of the public. Those details could become clearer if Hanover police release an incident report or additional information.

The report comes as Hanover police continue to handle a range of calls throughout the community. The department’s public records and announcements include incident reports and other police-related updates, although no official announcement concerning Wednesday’s Target parking-lot report was located in the department’s publicly indexed material during a review for this article.

Plimoth Today is identifying CrimeRadar as the source of the initial information and is not independently confirming the allegations at this time. Radio dispatch information can be incomplete, preliminary or subject to change as officers investigate an incident.

The reported vehicle description — a gray 2023 Kia Sportage — could be significant if investigators are attempting to identify the person involved. However, a vehicle description alone does not establish who was driving or who may have been involved in the reported conduct.

Anyone with information about the incident should contact the Hanover Police Department through its official channels.

This remains a developing story. Plimoth Today will update the report if Hanover police provide an official statement, confirm additional details, identify a suspect or report an arrest or criminal charges.

Editor’s note: A person being reported to police or being investigated does not establish that a crime occurred or that the person involved is guilty. Any charges would be allegations to be resolved through the court system.