A Florida man finds himself in hot water after reportedly relieving himself on more than $10,000 worth of food at a Sam’s Club.
Patrick Francis Mitchell, 70, found himself in legal trouble on June 4, as reported by Lake County public records. He was facing charges of criminal mischief exceeding $1,000 in damages and disorderly conduct.
On May 30 at around 9:49 a.m. local time, an individual named Mitchell was reportedly seen urinating in an aisle of a Sam’s Club in Lady Lake, a town close to Orlando. This information comes from an affidavit, which was submitted by the State of Florida to the Fifth Judicial Circuit court on June 3.
A woman reportedly utilized her mobile device to take photographs of the purported event, subsequently sharing them with store staff, according to court records.
New footage from store CCTV reveals more details about the alleged incident. A legal document reveals that Mitchell reportedly approached two pallets, turned towards the shelf, positioned both hands in front of him below the belt line, and remained in that stance for several seconds, exhibiting what the document described as actions resembling urination.
Video evidence reportedly captured Mitchell strolling through the snack aisle and lounging on patio furniture for about 10 minutes before completing his purchase and exiting the store, according to the affidavit.
Store managers subsequently verified the presence of urine on the two pallets, which reportedly held around 188 cans of Vienna sausage and 345 cans of Spam, according to the court document.
According to the affidavit, store employees had no choice but to discard the tainted cans, leading to a financial setback of approximately $10,584.84 in merchandise.
According to the document, a store manager successfully supplied police with Mitchell’s name and contact details, utilizing information from his Sam’s Club membership portal.
During a court appearance on June 10, Mitchell entered a not guilty plea to both charges filed against him, as reported by Lake County public records. The next court appearance is set for June 30.
