Is Eating Too Many Samples At The Grocery Store A Crime?

Erwin Lingitz dropped by his local grocery store to pick up a prescription and left in handcuffs. Why? He hogged the free samples.

68 year-old Erwin Lingitz was confronted in April, 2010 as he was exiting his local Cub grocery story, and ultimately taken to jail. He was busted for helping himself a little to much to several unattended deli sample trays and the store's kid's cookie club tray. At the time of his arrest, Mr. Lingitz was in possession of 15-20 cookies, 14-16 packets of soy sauce, almost a pound of beef stick and over a half a pound of summer sausage in his pockets!

Charges of shoplifting, disorderly conduct and interfering with officers were later dismissed, but Lingitz is pursuing a lawsuit for undisclosed damages, claiming that he was treated with unnecessary force and that his civil rights were violated.

Stuff can look pretty tempting, especially if you are hungry! Have you ever made a meal out of grocery store samples or watched a sample hogger in action? Should Erwin Lingitz have been arrested?