Man Locked Overnight In CVS Won’t Be Charged For Helping Himself To Snacks

Image courtesy of Mike Mozart

If you found yourself inadvertently locked inside a CVS overnight, you could try out a bunch of cosmetics, wrap yourself in bandages and play “mummy,” or — like one Michigan man — help yourself to some food from the snack aisle.

The Southgate News-Herald reports that the man woke in the CVS store on April 1 to find it locked and deserted.

The man was discovered locked in the store around 1 a.m. when he set off an alarm. The store’s alarm company noticed the man walking around the aisles and called police.

When police arrived, the 56-year-old man told them he had fallen asleep near the store’s blood pressure cuff chair, woken up to find he was stuck inside, and then enjoyed a few snacks because he was thirsty and homeless.

The man also told police that he had taken a heart rate monitoring watch from the store, but handed it over to authorities.

CVS was initially going to charge the man for the snacks he consumed — including Fig Newtons, TruMoo chalet milk, and other drinks — but a spokesperson for the chain tells the News-Herald that is no longer the case.

“CVS has researched this more extensively and based on extenuating circumstances we are not going to press charges,” the rep said.

The man isn’t the first consumer to be unwittingly locked inside a business:

• Oct. 2013 — A California woman was not thrilled when she failed to receive an apology from Costco after employees accidentally locked her inside the warehouse store.

• Dec. 2013 — A man traveling from Louisiana to California found himself locked inside a United Express airplane after he fell asleep and failed to get off the aircraft.

• Feb. 2014 — A woman was locked inside a Hudson’s Bay store in Toronto for 45 minutes, and live-Tweeted the entire thing.

• Nov. 2014 — A Kansas City woman was stuck inside a CVS store for an hour and a half before being rescued. She even paid for her gummy vitamins after being released.

• July 2015 — A Massachusetts family had an exciting Friday night when they were locked inside a Chevrolet dealership’s lot. After no one responded to their calls for help, the family used a saw and cut the gate’s locks.

• Aug. 2015 — A Florida man posted video on Facebook and YouTube after he was locked inside an L.A. Fitness location after the gym’s 5 p.m. closing time.

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.