INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — A 51-year-old man is suspected of tucking four packages of meat, worth $55 total, into his pants twice while shopping at a Publix store, deputies said.
The man then tried to leave the store without paying for the items, which included two thin sliced T-bone steaks and two Porterhouse steaks.
Johnny Mack Blackmon, of the 700 block of 5th Street Southwest, was charged with shoplifting. He is being held at the Indian River County Jail on $500 bond.
Johnny Blackmon
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY INDIAN RIVER COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
Deputies went to a Publix store about 4:30 p.m. Wednesday in the 1200 block of U.S. 1. Deputies spoke with a law prevention officer, who said she saw Blackmon put four meat packages from the meat department into his shopping cart while walking down an aisle.
She said Blackmon then tucked all the packages down the front of his pants, removed the items and then placed them back in the shopping cart. Blackmon walked down another aisle and placed all the packages down his pants, again.
Blackmon passed all points of sale and walked out of the store, before being detained by the loss prevention officer, deputies said. Deputies spoke with Blackmon, and he admitted he went in the store with the intention of stealing food and didn’t have money to pay for the items.
He told the deputy he stuffed the four meat packages down his pants. Blackmon was arrested and taken to the county jail. He has an arraignment at 8:30 a.m. March 6 in court, court records show.