The limits of workplace theft are being tested in Pennsylvania, where a man called police this month to complain that his Jell-O had been stolen. The flavor was strawberry, he said. And it wasn't the first instance of fridge-theft.
The story comes from Philadelphia's CBS KYW-TV:
"The 'victim,' a 39-year-old man, was irate because this wasn't the first time his food had been stolen from the refrigerator. Unfortunately, police were unable to catch the thief, as 'the incident remains under investigation.' "
We'll admit here that we followed up on the case in part to confirm the story wasn't a mistaken reposting of an item from The Onion, drawing on an all-too-common annoyance for today's workers.
Officials at the Upper Macungie Township Police Department assure us that it's a genuine theft complaint.
"You're talking about someone stealing someone else's food," police Sgt. Pete Nickischer tells us. He says the victim was frustrated by repeated incidents.
"I think he was fed up," Nickischer says.
In a news release, police say that "an employee at Wakefern reported that an unknown person stole his Jell-O brand strawberry Jell-O snack from the break room refrigerator."
Wakefern, we'll note, is a large grocery wholesaler -- in other words, the facility in question is a food warehouse.
A reader who commented on the KYW story suggests what could be a fitting end for the case:
"When they find the perp, they'll put him in custardy."
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