A Florida man is currently facing charges after smearing human poop on food in the supermarket.
According to Click Orlando , Edwin Pierce — the Florida man in question — is a 31-year-old resident of Melbourne, Florida. Identified as homeless in his most recent booking, Pierce previously lived in a home in the area, according to Florida Sheriff’s Office, who make such information public upon a suspect’s arrest.
He was charged with petit theft and criminal mischief after he smeared human poop on food in the Family Dollar on 2200 Sarno Road in Melbourne.
It is unclear what the origin of said human poop was — whether it was Pierce’s, or it belonged to another Florida man, and the arresting officer didn’t bother to ask that pertinent question.
What is known, however, is that a checkout clerk at the Family Dollar was the one who initially made the call to police. He did so after he believed that Pierce was “hiding items” down his pants.
When the officers arrived to investigate, however, they realized that Pierce smeared the human poop across boxes of grits, oats, forks, and chow mein.
All told, Pierce caused about $40 in damage to the food.
Police then reported that the Florida man paid for the food he’d taken but was called back into the store to clean up the mess he’d made. Police then booked him at the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office.
WHAT A WASTE: #Melbourne man accused of wiping his feces on food, boxes and shelves at Sarno Rd. #FamilyDollar — @MelbournePolice say employee spotted Edwin Pierce on camera placing hands down back of pants, thought he was shoplifting. @MyNews13 #Brevard #Florida pic.twitter.com/OMAINoHDsV
— Greg Pallone (@gpallone13) July 9, 2018
According to the Florida booking website , Pierce has a long history of arrests.
In 2013, he was arrested and charged with cocaine and Xanax, and conspiracy to smuggle contraband into a state facility — all of which are third-degree felonies.
Then, later in 2013, he was arrested on an out-of-county warrant.
Later still in 2013, he was charged with two counts of failure to appear on charges — again, a third-degree felony.
Perhaps the most telling of all his arrests, however, was his arrest in 2016 for domestic battery — again, a felony in the state of Florida. It was shortly after that arrest that Pierce no longer lived at the home that was listed as his former address. It thereby implies — but doesn’t confirm — that his indigence has to do with a combination of drug problems and a domestic violence record.
According to the Miami New Times , the “Florida man” meme became a hit on the internet thanks to the state’s “open records” laws, which first began in 1909, and demanded that “all government business is public business and therefore should be available to the public.”