An Arizona man who calls himself a social media “villain” has been arrested after filming himself spraying bedbugs on groceries inside a Walmart store and bragging about his prank video to police.
Charles Smith, 27, allegedly grabbed a can of Hot Shot Ultra Bed Bug Flea Killer and sprayed an array of fresh produce with the pesticide at a Megastore in Mesa, Arizona, on Dec. 19 around 8:30 p.m. has been indicted for.
A now-deleted video shows an influencer wearing a black hoodie and pink bandana spraying toxins on bananas, acorn squash, potatoes, lemons, green apples and Roma tomatoes at a store in southeast Phoenix. was being photographed.
Police claim TikTokker. Username WolfieKahlettiintentionally went to the store to film a prank for his channel.
Smith is a self-confessed online “troll”. According to court documents viewed by Az Family.. His TikTok has over 300,000 followers.
The troublemaker allegedly told police he earns between $6,000 and $10,000 a month by filming provocative prank videos.
“I think social media has made people do crazy things,” said Walmart shopper Xavier Griego. “It's a shame that some people have their lives ruined because of the number of views on social media.”
Smith surrendered himself to police on December 21st.
He is charged with introducing a poisonous substance, a felony, and three misdemeanor charges, including criminal damage to property, endangerment, and theft.
A Walmart spokesperson told AZ Family that store employees removed the directly affected items and cleaned the affected areas of the store.
It is unclear whether any customers were injured by eating the contaminated product.
“This incident highlights the potential dangers of reckless behavior disguised as a social media prank,” Mesa Police Department said in a statement.
Other videos posted online by Smith include posts that appear to have been made by Smith. Mix bacon and eggs in a stranger's package Not only were they trapped in a laundromat, but they also trapped people in another grocery store.
The spray is said to be “harmful if swallowed” and “prolonged or frequent skin contact may cause allergic reactions in some people.” Hotshot website.
suspect Convicted of tampering with consumer products He could be sentenced to up to 5 to 20 years in prison.
In 2022, the Arizona man Sentenced to 10 years' probation After being convicted of adding harmful chemicals to food at several retail stores in the Phoenix area.
David Lohr was ordered to pay $390.42 in restitution to the grocery chain and to participate in a mental health evaluation and additional recommended treatment.
There were no reports of injuries or illnesses related to items tampered with during the 2018 stunt, prosecutors said.
A year later, Lohr was charged with tampering with merchandise at a California store and sentenced to 51 months in prison and three years of supervised release with mental health services.
