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Man charged in meat theft
A hasty exit from a grocery store aroused the suspicions of store personnel and resulted in the arrest of a 33-year-old Culpeper man on a felony shoplifting charge yesterday.
Culpeper Police charged Scott Andrew Berry, of the 7500 block of Kirtley Trail, with felony third offense of petty larceny. He was also wanted on two counts of failure to appear in court.
About 8:50 p.m., Tuesday, a Safeway store employee noticed Berry pushing a grocery cart containing some unknown items through the automatic front door at a “fast pace” without paying, police said. Berry allegedly didn’t stop at either of the two checkout lines open at the time. The employee immediately went outside but couldn’t locate Berry in the parking lot of Southgate Shopping Center. Meanwhile, another employee called police to report the theft.
Officer Ashley Banks responded to the grocery store, while Officer William Barnes began looking for Berry along Orange Road.
A store employee briefly spotted Berry carrying two bags in the store’s back parking lot and headed behind the library near the tree line. The employee began following Berry. Shortly thereafter, one of the bags broke open, spilling the contents – all Safeway brand meat – on the ground. The employee then lost sight of Berry.
However minutes later, Officer Barnes spotted Berry on Orange Road near a restaurant. Nearby police also found a grocery bag containing more meat.
Safeway employees identified both the meat as Safeway products and Berry as the man seen leaving the store in a hurry without paying.
Berry faces a felony charge because he has more than two previous larceny convictions, police said.
He is being held in jail without bond. He is scheduled for arraignment on the felony charge Thursday at 8:30 a.m.
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