Noticeable bulge in man's pants led to his arrest for theft of pair of sandwiches

A bulge in the pants ultimately led to the arrest of a Florida man accused of stuffing sandwiches in his trousers, according to an affidavit.

A loss prevention official at a Publix in Vero Beach told an Indian River County Sheriff’s deputy she spotted a man later identified as Jason Rice, 40, stick a pair of deli sandwiches in his pants on January 25. The loss prevention official tried to confront Rice as Rice headed toward the exit, but Rice “stated something to the effect of, get the (expletive) out of my way.”



The loss prevention official noticed a “noticeable bulge” in Rice’s pants where the sandwiches were secreted. She also saw the licence plate on Rice’s black Ford truck. Investigators spoke with Rice at his home. He said he had two sandwiches made, but left them in the store in the shopping cart after checking his bank account and determining he lacked the funds to complete the $15.98 purchase.

Store video, however, showed Rice push a cart out of the store. Rice then said he pushed an empty cart out of the store. “I asked him if he pushed an empty cart out, then where did he leave the sandwiches,” the affidavit states. “Rice then declined to further discuss the incident.” Rice, of Vero Beach, was arrested on a shoplifting charge.