Pennsylvania Woman Coughs on $35K Worth of Produce at Grocery Store in Sick Coronavirus ‘Prank’

A Pennsylvania supermarket was forced to destroy $35,000 worth of produce after a woman coughed all over it in a bizarre, unsanitary and inconsiderate stunt.

Gerrity’s Supermarket in Luzerne County has said that the woman primarily coughed on the vegetables but also targeted a small section of the bakery and certain meat products. They were forced to remove all of the contaminated products and clean the store as a result.

The supermarket posted on Facebook that they felt what the woman did was a “very twisted prank.”

“We will not take any chances with the health and well-being of our customers. We had no choice but to throw out all product she came in contact with,” the supermarket’s co-owner Joe Fasula posted on Facebook.

The display may have long-lasting consequences for the supermarket during these trying economic times with an unprecedented pandemic sweeping the nation.

“We are checking to see if our insurance company will cover it, but even if they do, our rates will surely go up next year. I am also absolutely sick to my stomach about the loss of food. While it is always a shame when food is wasted, in these times when so many people are worried about the security of our food supply, it is even more disturbing,” Fasula wrote.

The District Attorney’s office is currently considering whether or not to press charges against the suspect, as law enforcement relaxes their protocol during this time of great crisis.

Pennsylvania police have announced that they are cutting their services and essentially letting suspects get away with supposedly non-violent crime because of the coronavirus pandemic:

Police officers across Pennsylvania are grappling with how to best protect their communities while at the same time protecting themselves, with many limiting contact with those reporting crimes, cutting outreach programs and even forestalling arrests.

Local departments and the State Police are also drawing up plans for what happens if COVID-19 spreads among their ranks and creates an officer shortage…

In Scranton, police are telling residents to file reports of minor crimes not in progress through an online portal rather than in person at a station. The department barred public access to its lobbies for all non-emergencies or other needs such as records, permits or payments…

In Erie, police now take reports of almost all minor crimes — such as theft or criminal mischief — over the phone and dispatch officers for a follow-up only if necessary. The department also stocked up on extra cleaning supplies to beat back the spread of the virus, and is in regular contact with the local health department and other officials…

On Tuesday, the Philadelphia Police Department said it is scaling back arrests for non-violent crimes. In most cases, investigators will now temporarily detain suspects for processing and arrest them at a later date.

A harsh example must be made of this woman who targeted the produce or the rule of law may be in serious jeopardy in Pennsylvania during the crisis.

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