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Pesticide prank leaves man arrested for stunt in Mesa
Charles Smith was arrested after posting a video on his social media pages that showed him spraying bug killer on fruits and vegetables at a Walmart in Mesa. FOX 10's Nicole Krasean has the story.
MESA, Ariz. - Mesa Police arrested 27-year-old Charles Smith in a bizarre incident where the man was seen spraying grocery items with chemicals at a Walmart.
He is facing charges of introducing poison, criminal damage, endangerment and theft for his actions.
What we know
Smith told police he makes as much as $10,000 a month by being a "troll" on social media.
That money now may be spent on legal fees and his $25,350 bond.
Residents are disgusted and Walmart shoppers in Mesa reacted to hearing about the man charged for spraying bug spray on food sold to customers.
"People eat that stuff," said shopper Chris Edwards. "Regardless if you're doing a prank or not, you're just really messing with the community at that point."
Smith posted the video to his TikTok and Instagram accounts.
In the video, he takes a can of bug spray around the store, spraying produce and meat.
Smith posted two update videos claiming he threw the contaminated food away, but he is seen gathering only some of the fruit and vegetables in a cart.
Then he rolls it onto a Walmart trailer parked behind the store.
He has since deleted all three videos.
Mesa Police noted that the time between Smith spraying the produce and returning to put them in a cart was enough time for shoppers to pick up contaminated produce unknowingly.
Walmart in a statement said the contaminated produce was removed.
"A lot of people do anything for attention and it's pretty low to do something like that, to endanger other people," said another shopper, Richard Hansen.
Big picture view
Food-related prank trends at Walmart are not new.
In 2019, a woman was charged with criminal mischief after a video was posted of her licking the top of a carton of Blue Bell ice cream and putting it back in the store freezer.
Days later that woman became known as the "Blue Bell Licker."
A copy-cat in Louisiana tried the same prank. He was also charged with criminal mischief.
Blue Bell ice cream licker in Texas sentenced to 30 days in jail
A man in Texas will spend 30 days in jail after pleading guilty to criminal mischief for licking a carton of Blue Bell ice cream.
That same week, a woman uses a bottle of Listerine and then places it back on the shelf.
Smith, is the latest villain in this trend, but this week's pesticide prank is far from his first.
A video from his TikTok page appears to show him sticking a sub sandwich in the air fryer at a Whataburger restaurant.
Another video shows Smith masking up and then spraying an employee at a business with a fire extinguisher, shutting the door behind them as smoke billows out.
Local perspective
Court documents say Tempe Police has an active case against him.
Smith turned himself in to Mesa PD on Dec. 21, making himself the latest in a line of internet trolls facing the consequences of crimes caught on cam.
"Whenever they post stuff, especially derogatory things or trying to influence you one way or the other, I think it's just trying to draw attention to themselves," said Hansen.
Smith faces four charges in this case: three misdemeanors and a felony charge of introducing poison.
The incident occurred on Thursday, Dec. 19 at the Walmart on Stapley Drive and Baseline Road.
Tempe Police assisted in the investigation.
Map of where the incident took place
The Source: Information for this story was provided by Mesa Police, Tempe Police, reporting from FOX 10 Phoenix's Nicole Krasean and others.