Man Chows Down At Supermarket In Vernon, Then Flees Store: Police

VERNON, CT — A man from northern Massachusetts took the term "self-serve" literally at a prepared food section of a supermarket in Vernon and he is now facing a criminal charge, police said.

According to an arrest report, staff members at the Shoprite supermarket in the Tri-City Plaza said that, just before 2 p.m. on Aug. 4, a man walked into the store and began helping himself to food at the self-serve "hot bar."

Staff members said they were unsure just how much the man ate, but added he became confrontational and left the store when asked to pay for what he may have consumed.

The 42-year-old from Greenfield, MA, was tracked down a short time later on Route 30 and charged with sixth-degree larceny, according to an arrest report. He is due to return to Connecticut and face a judge in Rockville Superior Court on Aug. 13, police said.