Police took a Tennessee man into custody after he allegedly ate multiple bags of chips stolen by a different person from a local convenience store.
The officers believe the man knew the snacks were not paid for when he ate them, thus connecting him to the crime. His mother says the police should not have locked him up for eating stolen goods — particularly since he was not the one who stole them in the first place.
On Thursday, Feb. 9, Joseph Braswell, 36, was charged with theft of merchandise after he was caught with crumbs from a bag of chips stolen from the Parkway Village Circle K store in Memphis, WREG reports. The total price for the two bags of chips he ate was $4.98.
An unidentified man, according to the Memphis Police Department, stole the chips after arguing with a clerk in the convenience store. She would not sell him a beer. In a rage, he grabbed the entire display of snacks and left the store. Authorities say the display had hundreds of bags of chips in it when it was stolen.
On his way to his car, which the suspect tossed the display in before riding off, a few of the bags fell on the ground. Braswell walked over to the parking lot and picked up two bags and started to eat them.
Police report that after being called to investigate the robbery, they encountered Braswell across the street from the scene of the crime with crumbs in his beard. After reviewing surveillance footage, police determined the man knew the bags of chips were stolen and ate them anyway.
This provided enough cause for the police to arrest Braswell, after which he was remanded in jail for 12 days.
According to the store manager Melanie Jackson, Braswell was locked up to send a message about burglarizing her store.
“People come in here daily on a daily basis stealing, they think that is OK. My inventory is 17,000 short on people coming in here stealing,” Jackson said.
The Circle K employee also said crimes like these are pushing businesses…
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