Man accused of grabbing children at Port St. Lucie Walmart and Publix arrested, police say

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- A Jensen Beach man accused of grabbing a girl at a Port St. Lucie Walmart was turned in by his father and arrested Thursday evening, according to police spokesperson Tom Nichols.

Jackie Lee Wheeler, 28, was charged with two felony counts of lewd and lascivious molestation on a child under 12-years-old after accusations he grabbed a 9-year-old girl on her buttocks on June 2 at a Port St. Lucie Walmart.

Wheeler is also accused of grabbing a 6-year-old girl on her buttocks at a Publix on St. Lucie West Boulevard on June 13.

The mother of the 9-year-old child told police Wheeler touched the girl's buttocks with "an open handed grab," while she was shopping in the toy section with her grandmother. At first, police said the child thought it was an accident. But the child told her mother he did it again.

According to Nichols, Wheeler contacted his father after seeing his photograph on the news. Wheeler’s father then contacted police.

Wheeler later met with the detective assigned to the case and declined to speak during an interview, Nichols said. He was booked into the St. Lucie County Jail.