The Orange County Criminal Lawyer Blog
An alleged thief was apprehended for wasting an expensive cut of beef by placing it inside of his pants in a purported attempt to take it without paying.
On the morning of April 20, 40-year-old Eric Worden was reportedly inside of a Publix grocery store when one of the workers in the establishment said that they saw the man sticking a large package of meat in his pants.
When the manager of the store was told about what was allegedly witnessed, he went up to Worden and reportedly saw a disproportionate bulge in the man’s crotch area. The manager told Worden that he suspected there were stolen goods in his clothes, to which Worden allegedly responded by ditching a rib roast and then the location.
The police were notified and caught up with Worden near the store. The arrest report reflects that Worden didn’t deny that he had created a meat-pouch using his clothing, but when they asked him about the alleged theft, Worden reportedly said that he did not steal anything because nothing was removed from the store without being paid for.
The manager of Publix said that the 6-pound roast that Worden tried to hijack held a value of $62 and would now end up in the trash to protect against the possibility that a consumer could become ill from ingesting it.
When Worden was asked if he might be able to pay for the wasted product he said that he didn’t have the funds to make restitution, which seems like a reasonable response if one is accused of stealing food, to begin with.
Worden was placed under arrest and he is facing a misdemeanor theft charge, for which he has entered a plea of not guilty, maintaining his original position that he did not steal anything.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a theft crime, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.