Is an unwanted hug an assault?

Officers are sounding the alarm on hugging bandits who are approaching strangers and pretending they want to hug them while the only intention is to rob them.

Mugged while hugged? Yes, that's a thingwww.youtube.com

While one should remain vigilant whenever a stranger approaches you, officers warn to be extra cautious when a hug is involved.

According to Fox 11:

A new robbery "trend" is making the rounds and local authorities are warning that while it may seem innocent at first, it's anything but.

According to the Orange County Sheriff's Department, deputies responded to a home in Rancho Santa Margarita on July 2 regarding a robbery.

The victim told police a man and woman were sitting in a parked car in his driveway. The woman got out and approached him, tried to give him a hug, and "forcefully removed" his gold necklace, authorities said.

I would be totally freaked out if a random stranger tried to approach and hug me, and I really hope the victims didn’t hug them back.

The victim was able to provide a description of the suspects, who are possibly involved in similar incidents in Orange County and other surrounding counties, officials said.

Authorities are reminding the public to remain vigilant and cautious of strangers approaching for any reason.

You may think that these hugging bandits can't possibly be responsible for too much trouble, but that's not the case.

In an arrest of two suspected hugging bandits officers recovered 50 pieces of jewelry.

Smash and grabs have now turned into "hug and grab" and apparently these hugging crimes are becoming more common. You can't even wear jewelry out in public in Los Angeles without risking a robbery, but no one expects a random hug to lead to something like this.

You can't just go and de facto legalize crime and expect criminals to keep stealing the old-fashioned way, as residents are already used to that.

I am not one to victim shame but if you respond to a stranger trying to hug you by hugging them back, there's no helping that person, as a hug from a random weirdo sounds nothing short of disturbing.

The moral of the story is to please not hug strangers.

Claim vs Truth: What Jon Stewart Gets Wrong on Violent Crime Rateswww.youtube.com