A Florida man was arrested and charged with petty theft after eating $2 worth of jellybeans at a local Albertson’s. The man was caught by surveillance cameras reaching into a bin and putting “an unspecified number of jelly beans in his mouth.”
The deputy told a manager that the suspect had taken about 10 of the “raspberry-flavored” candies. The man denied taking more than two. He added that he’d been shopping at Albertson’s for 30 years and that he was just trying the candy to see if he wanted to buy it. The deputy “advised him that Albertson’s did not have free samples of candy and he should have known that if he had been shopping at Albertson’s for 30 years.”The man didn’t buy any of the candy.
The store manager on duty told the deputy that he wanted charges brought against the suspect, who was also issued a trespass warning.
Another horrid criminal removed from our streets. Just because candy is in a bin doesn’t make it free. Unless it’s a Buttered Popcorn jellybean – we would kill for those.
Man arrested for eating jelly beans in store [Northwest Florida Daily News]
(Photo: SMN)
What’s DIAF?
@ihateauditions: Now I’m supposed to Die In A Fire?
Wow. I hope you get some help with that condition you’ve got.
@ihateauditions
@ihateauditions:
Here’s what I’m for- consequences.
The situation described above obviously is all around ridiculous. The man stole a very small amount. He was confronted about it, and handled it incorrectly. Will it cost more to prosecute him than the product he stole? Yeah.
I understand your point about the how ridiculous that is. However, stealing is a crime that should not be tolerated. That means sometimes people will have to be punished, even if the stolen good had very little value.
Obviously throwing the book at this guy is a vast overreaction, but I would think some sort of little bitty slap on the wrist would be appropriate.
I don’t like bacon bits.
There’s something wrong about them.
How big of a book would you be throwing?
@ihateauditions: It was the off duty deputy that made the decision to arrest the shoplifter, not the store manager.
If they have you on camera for reaching in and grabbing a fistful, then you didn’t have just a couple.
At the Publix, at their bulk candy display, they have a coin box where you put a quarter if you take a sample.