Police in Biloxi, Mississippi have warned shoppers after razor blades were discovered in breads and muffins in two Walmart stores.
Shoppers discovered the sharp objects in the bread, which had been inserted through the plastic wrapping. It is unclear whether the razor blades were inserted before or after the items were stocked on the bakery shelves. Moreover, police issued an urgent warning, in case other Walmart products had been deliberately tampered with to potentially harm consumers.
The Sun reports that Walmart staff has since located several more razor blades, deliberately inserted through the plastic wrapping of bread and other bakery items. While so far there are no reports of harm to consumers, Biloxi, Mississippi police stated would continue the investigation, starting with security footage over the last few weeks.
At that time, Biloxi Police Department spokesperson, Lt. Candace Young said the problem is that they didn’t know when this happened. After spending time checking months of footage to pinpoint the culprit, no suspicious behavior was initially seen in the Walmart bakery section, leading to disappointment and fears for customers’ safety.
Meanwhile, Walmart employees were holding inventory checks, while removing potentially harmful products from the shelves to protect customers. Moreover, investigators still need to determine whether the blades were inserted in the store, or at some point along the supply chain. Young noted that no blades had been discovered in warehouse products, which suggests the tampering was carried out inside the store.
However, while going through surveillance videos, authorities did eventually find what they term a person of interest in the crime. They released a photo of a person wearing a green sweatshirt and fanny pack, who appeared to be standing close to the doors of a Walmart store while carrying a full plastic bag. Biloxi police have now called the person a potential suspect who had been “tampering with bakery items.” As yet, no reason for the crime has been established.
Meanwhile, concerned Biloxi shoppers have taken to social media to air their concerns, with some stating they would avoid purchasing bakery items from the Walmart until the situation is resolved.
Fortunately, police have since arrested a Texas woman, accused of pushing razor blades into loaves of bread at two Walmart stores on Tuesday. Camille Benson, 33, has been charged with attempted mayhem, and her bond is set at $100,000.
Young added that the crime spree started on December 5 and initially they thought it was an isolated event at one Walmart store. It wasn’t until two days later that a customer found a razor in a loaf of bread at a second Walmart location in the area.
While the crime is unusual, it isn’t the first time shoppers have found dangerous objects hidden in store food products. In Australia in 2018, blades were found inside strawberries, leading to a nationwide recall. Police advised people not to cut into the fruit until it had been properly inspected.
In 2019 in the UK, shoppers discovered sewing needles hidden in candies and berries. At the time, local law enforcement urged customers to remain vigilant and carefully inspect products before consumption. While the Australian incident was resolved, the UK police have yet to find their culprit.
