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Felony Charge For Man Who Stole Soda From McDonald’s [Video]

By Toni Matthews

From the archive: published Apr 22, 2016, 10 years ago. Details may have changed since.

If you’re thinking of stealing soda from your local McDonald’s, be warned. You might make the Hamburglar proud, but it could lead to a felony charge. That’s what happened to 18-year-old Arkansas-native Cody Morris, who was arrested Monday after making off with stolen soda but not before hitting someone with his car in the process.

According to KHBS/KHOG, Cody, along with two unidentified accomplices, were involved in what amounts to a two-part scheme in mind. First, the group went through the drive-thru of McDonald’s at 520 S. Thompson St. in Springdale. The teens requested three large cups of free water, but it was sweet, sugary soda the three young men were after.

Once handed their freebies, the driver parked the car (that employees would likely have recognized fairly quickly because it was just in line), and headed inside. Cody and his friends quickly dumped out the large cups of water and then not too subtly tried to fill the empty containers with soda.

For those of you who aren’t aware, free water is an everyday staple of McDonald’s. Should you go inside to get it for yourself, it’s trusted that you’ll get water and not soda; McDonald’s soda is not free, and filling cups meant for water with soda is stealing.

When the McDonald’s staff pointed this out to the sticky-fingered teens and demanded they hand over the soft drinks, that’s when things got crazy. Although the two accomplices gave up their drinks, Cody refused. He instead chose to flee the establishment with the stolen beverage.

The McDonald’s manager followed the teen suspect, standing behind his car to prevent the young man from leaving. Someone should have reminded him of the famous saying, “There’s no honor among thieves.”

Allegedly, the car reversed and hit the McDonald’s manager. Unharmed, the manager next tried to get the keys out of the car’s ignition. The suspect swatted his hand away and tried once again to pull off. This time, the teen’s efforts were successful. Incredibly, the “daring” suspect managed to hit the McDonald’s employee a second time.

If Cody thought a large cup of stolen sugar-water was worth the trouble, the local police were about to demonstrate just how wrong he was.

The McDonald’s manager immediately contacted local authorities and told them what happened. A short time later, the suspect’s car was spotted at a local bowling alley by police. The teen was arrested and charged with a sole count of felony robbery.

Raw Story does a great job of putting this bizarre story in perspective with the reminder that a large soda from McDonald’s is only worth about $1.49. A felony charge for “stealing soda from McDonald’s” might not seem like a big deal.

You know what is a big deal? Hitting someone with your car when you attempt to make a getaway with your not-paid-for McDonald’s soda. The alleged act no doubt elevated what would have been a misdemeanor to a felony.

Cody Morris was booked into jail on Tuesday. ABC7 reports that he was released on a $2500 bond.

It’s hard to overstate that this entire matter could have been avoided if Morris and his friends had just shelled out three dollars for three sodas. Or, they could have just accepted the free water graciously — because very few places in the United States offer free water in 2016. It’s hard to believe that someone was so desperate for soda that they hit someone with their car and could now spend a few years in jail as a direct result.

Is a McDonald’s soda really worth being winding up with a felony charge?

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