Police in Louisiana have arrested a man for allegedly licking a tub of Blue Bell ice cream and putting it back on the store shelf, in a viral stunt supposedly inspired by a Texas teen.
A Facebook video shows the suspect tampering with a tub of ice cream at a store in Napoleonville, Louisiana, according to the Assumption Parish Sheriff’s Office. In the video, the suspect appears to lick the ice cream and poke it with his finger before putting it back on the freezer shelf.
The suspect later returned to the store to show a receipt indicating he bought the ice cream, investigators said.
Lenise Martin III, 36, has been charged with property tampering and posting criminal activity, according to local news reports.
The incident occurred mere weeks after a teenager allegedly recorded a similar stunt in Lufkin, Texas. A recirculated clip of the licking incident has been viewed more than 11 million times on Twitter.
WATCH: Accused ice-cream licker could face 20 years in prison
The accused teen’s original post appears to have been removed. However, reports suggest that she was encouraging others to turn ice-cream licking into a viral trend. a
Blue Bell says the original case has been referred to the Texas Juvenile Justice Department “to pursue however it deems appropriate.”
The Assumption Parish Sheriff’s Office is urging people not to copy the trend.
“It is illegal. It’s a health risk to others,” the sheriff’s office told local station WAFB9 in Louisiana. “We will pursue anyone we see do this. You will be charged.”
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