A male prankster has been arrested in connection with a social media post involving the spraying of pesticides on produce and other foods at a Mesa Walmart store.

According to police, Charles Smith, 27, entered the Walmart at 1955 S. Stapley Dr. on Dec. 19 intending to film pranks for social media platforms.

Instead, police said Smith grabbed a can of Hot Shot Ultra Bed Bug and Flea Killer from a shelf without paying for it and then sprayed the pesticide on various vegetables, fruit and rotisserie chickens that were available for purchase.

Smith recorded his face, the pesticide can and the act of him spraying its contents. He later posted the recording online.

    • queermunist she/her@lemmy.mlEnglish
      31·
      4 hours ago

      So… do you think he was a customer, and they just haven’t found out yet?

      Like you said, it shouldn’t be hard to find out. Therefore, he almost certainly wasn’t a customer. They’d know.

        • NutWrench@lemmy.mlEnglish
          2·
          2 hours ago

          United already has a serious public image problem with their 30%-35% claim denial rate.

          How much worse would it be if they said, “yeah, Luigi’s back problems could have been easily fixed by surgery, but we decided to deny that claim and put him on painkillers for the rest of his life.” They’d be admitting that one of their many fark-ups got their CEO killed. And that’s not going to help their case if this ever goes to trial.

          • theUwUhugger@lemmy.worldEnglish
            11·
            30 minutes ago

            I am not an american so I wouldn’t know, but surely your police force wouldn’t lie in the interest of a company, would it?

            Or like, there would be massive legal backlash if the company disclosed false info to the police, no?

            What is going on over the great puddle?

        • queermunist she/her@lemmy.mlEnglish
          2·
          4 hours ago

          That’s just how cops talk. Police are trained to speak as vaguely as possible in order to not give the defense any ammunition. If they say “he was not a customer” then the defense can use that in the trial, and why would they want to help the defense?

          Now answer my question. Do you think he was a customer, and they just haven’t found out yet?

          • theUwUhugger@lemmy.worldEnglish
            2·
            3 hours ago

            How on the bloody earth would assassinating his character help his defense? Maybe if they were lying, that could help I guess?

            He is either ought to be, or he is a set up! It is very suspicious that after a week of headless panicking they found the suspect with the murder weapon and an apparently false paper explaining that he did it

      • Hello Hotel@lemmy.worldEnglish
        1·
        4 hours ago

        They are not giving a definitive answer and merly giving their (less legally binding) professional opinion. Its like they dont want to know or publish an absolute.