Florida man arrested for peeing on ₹9 lakh worth of Vienna sausages
The accused, identified as Patrick Francis Mitchell, was seen relieving himself in aisle 18 of the store, reportedly contaminating 188 bulk units of Vienna sausages and 345 units of Spam Classic.
A 70-year-old man in Florida has been arrested after allegedly urinating on canned food items worth ₹9 lakh ($10,500) at a Sam’s Club store in Lady Lake, a town near Orlando.
The accused, identified as Patrick Francis Mitchell, was seen relieving himself in aisle 18 of the store, reportedly contaminating 188 bulk units of Vienna sausages and 345 units of Spam Classic.
According to the New York Post, a witness spotted Mitchell mid-act and alerted store staff. Following the incident, Mitchell was seen walking over to the snack section, sitting on a piece of patio furniture for about 10 minutes, before heading to the register, paying for his items, and leaving the premises.
Store officials later reviewed CCTV footage and matched the individual’s Sam’s Club membership ID with surveillance images and his Florida driving licence photo. He was subsequently arrested at his residence in Piedmont, a retirement community known as “Florida’s Friendliest Hometown”, where he lives with his wife.
Marion County Detective Ronnie Williams noted the incident showed “behaviour consistent with urination”.
Due to contamination by bodily fluids, the affected products had to be discarded.
On social media, the incident sparked outrage. One user wrote, “Convict this miscreant and give it jail time and lighten his retirement savings with a hefty fine,” while another quipped, “Ah, welcome back Florida Man. It’s been about a week.” A third commented, “When you gotta go you gotta go! But honestly, feel for the store and its losses.”
Mitchell has pleaded not guilty to a felony charge of criminal mischief in Lake County Court. He is being represented by criminal defence lawyer Bobby Rumalla and is currently out on a bond of ₹2.5 lakh ($3,000).