No More Free Lunch at Clement's Market for Middletown Man

A 72-year-old Middletown man was reportedly treating the prepared foods section at Clement’s Market as a personal buffet and landed himself shoplifting charges on April 18 after he walked out after eating soup and a sandwich without paying.

Police also said Garrett Budlong Stone, 72, of 479 Wolcott Ave., Middletown, was in possession of 12 Vicodin pills, which resulted in an additional felony charge of narcotics possession.

Police were dispatched to the market at around 5:30 p.m. where store employees said Stone sat in the dining area and had a bowl of soup and ate a sandwich while reading two newspapers. He then attempted to leave the store without paying.

A store manager told police that Stone has been in the store before and reportedly took a liberal approach to sampling food.

Stone told police that he thought it was OK to sample food because, he said, “Whole Foods allows sampling of soup so he believed it to be common practice everywhere,” according to a police report.

Along with the two charges, a no-trespass order was issued.

Stone was released from custody later that evening and is due to appear in court on May 15.