It would feel a lot less invasive and creepy if it really was random and not after looking up an event in someone’s small home town and then traveling there and hoping for an encounter.
> There was no crowd around him, no stage, no conference lanyard
The crowd, stage, lanyard — those are indications that "you can talk to me" or "here I am, this is my name, I'm speaking at this conference". Wearing a lanyard is an invitation.
> In one of his videos, Salvatore mentioned an upcoming local tradition: the Rietina di Campobello di Licata
> It was pure, absurd coincidence
It absolutely wasn't. He mentioned it, but politely declined meeting up, the author drove there anyway.
> just Salvatore on his evening walk in his hometown
I think it would have been courteous to leave him alone