ELLSWORTH, Maine — Local police are on the lookout for a man who, despite the low price of lobster this summer, walked out of a local supermarket without paying for four of the tasty crustaceans.
The man walked into Hannaford Supermarket on High Street a few minutes before 9 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 5 and went to the live lobster tank in the back of the store, according to Ellsworth police Officer Rick Roberts. When the store manager asked if he needed help, the man asked how much the lobsters cost.
When told the price, the man tried to negotiate a lower price, saying he could buy cheaper lobsters “at the dock,” Roberts said. The manager held firm to the stated retail price, however, and the man asked for four lobsters.
The manager got the lobsters from the tank and packaged them up for the man, who then took them to the front of the store. Instead of waiting in line and paying for the lobsters at a cash register, the man just walked out the front door, Roberts said.
The alleged theft was discovered a short time later when the manager asked other employees about whether the man had paid for the lobsters, Roberts said. Other employees could not remember seeing the man in line at any of the registers, and realized he had just walked out when they checked the security video.
The Ellsworth Police Department is asking the public for help identifying the man. Anyone wiht information is asked to contact local police at 667-2168.
Follow BDN reporter Bill Trotter on Twitter at @billtrotter.
I guess he figured a way to get them cheaper than at the dock…I can’t imagine why people think that they will get away with this type of theft. Hello, security cameras!
Yeah of course why would they think they could get away with it….its not like all the pharmacy robberies, right, with the terrible security camera footage, why would they think at the grocery store they would get caught if they cant even seem to find the person who robbed the Ellsworth Walgreens.
I wonder what caused the manager to double check to see that this person had paid for his lobsters. The fact that he tried to haggle, or was he acting peculiar in some other way?
I’d guess because he was a haggler. Probably goes to Irving and tries to negotiate Gas Prices too. Good luck with that buddy.
I can guarantee any punishment he receives will be less severe than if he had stolen them from the docks.
the guys at the docks would make ‘lobster bait’ out of him and throw him over the side!!!
That’s a bit a risky situation for Hannaford to make such an accusation. I have been in situations in supermarkets and other department stores (Home Depot being the worst), where cashiers don’t always know what they are doing. It is possible that the man paid for it, handed the cash and the cashier never recorded it, etc. Publishing a picture like this after the facts will most certainly lead to a denial from the man and an embarrassment for Hannaford. I certainly wouldn’t like them to put up my picture should they ommit to scan one of my items…. Just think about it.
Because there’s only the one camera in the store—especially none pointed at the registers.
Good looking out on the manager’s part for checking into it!
wow I want to go in business in ellsworth where the police track down petty thiefs! we need more of this everywhere…hey make them earn their money…..bet they wont be stealing from a donut shop….the police presence is amazing.
Is 20 bucks grand thief?
“wiht” (last sentence in article. Maybe this was a test to see if anyone actually reads to the end…)