A man from Minnesota was arrested after he was accused of stealing $1250 worth of Girl Scout cookies from an unattended loading dock.
43-year-old Joel S. Whittaker lives in Oronoco.
On the evening of March 20, Whittaker reportedly drove his sedan to a local GNC.
When he reached the premises, Whittaker went dumpster diving through the garbage receptacles.
According to reports, Whittaker spotted a loading dock door at the nearby Fareway Foods that was only partially closed, and he went over to the area. He reportedly noticed many cases of Girl Scout cookies inside.
Whittaker allegedly moved his car close to the dock and snuck into the building. He reportedly grabbed as many cases of cookies that would fit into his trunk, in addition to stuffing the inside of the car to maximum capacity.
When Whittaker entered the facility, a silent alarm was triggered and sent a notification to the police.
Many officers headed to the address, and one of them encountered a car driving away from the warehouse area.
The officer performed a traffic stop, and the driver was identified as Whittaker.
When the police searched Whittaker’s sedan, they reported that they discovered 23 cases of Girl Scout cookies, two allegedly stolen license plates, a meth pipe, bolt cutters, a substance purported to be heroin, and a pry bar. An open package of cookies was also allegedly sitting in reach of the driver’s seat.
The officers asked Whittaker about their finds, and they reported that the man admitted to taking the cookies when he saw the opportunity from the dumpster.
Whittaker was placed under arrest, and he is facing charges for suspicion of third-degree burglary and felony theft.
Girl Scouts has a policy where they do not allow cookies that have touched the ground to be sold. 25 boxes were reportedly placed on the floor at some point during the alleged theft, and they were donated to Salvation Army.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a criminal offense, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.