In a disturbing case of social media “pranks” gone too far, a 27-year-old TikTok user named Charles Smith was arrested for spraying poison on food at a Walmart in Mesa, Arizona. Authorities say Smith documented himself committing the crime, recording his face on video as he sprayed bug killer over produce, fruit, and even rotisserie chickens. He then uploaded the footage to social media, seemingly unfazed by the consequences of his actions.
Okay this is insane. This guy sprayed toxic bug spray on produce at Walmart, and then was dumb enough to post it on the internet.
LOCK HIM UP! cr: @ImMeme0 pic.twitter.com/z5Er45SZi2
— David J Harris Jr (@DavidJHarrisJr) December 21, 2024
According to court documents, Smith entered the Walmart on Stapley Drive on the evening of December 19 and grabbed a can of bug spray directly off the shelf without paying for it. He then proceeded to spray the toxic substance on items throughout the store. The chaos didn’t stop there. Just 10 minutes after committing the crime, Smith reportedly returned to the Walmart and tried to “collect” the tainted items, pushing them to the back of the store.
Walmart, forced to err on the side of caution, removed nearly $1 million worth of food—some confirmed contaminated and some suspected to be—after Smith’s actions. Court records indicate that this included a large portion of the store’s inventory, which had to be discarded to protect public safety.
“It should be noted that the time between when the defendant sprayed the items to when he placed them in the cart left plenty of time for customers to take the contaminated items and purchase them,” stated court documents, highlighting the potential danger Smith’s actions posed to unsuspecting shoppers.
Smith was arrested on Saturday by Mesa police and now faces a slew of charges, including felony Introducing Poison, as well as misdemeanors for Criminal Damage, Endangerment, and Theft.
Videos on Smith’s TikTok account reportedly show him attempting to justify his actions, claiming he discarded the poisoned items. However, authorities noted that his video only captured part of the story and cast doubt on whether he truly disposed of all the contaminated food.
The incident has sparked outrage online, with many questioning how far individuals will go to gain fleeting internet fame. Walmart has not yet commented on the total financial impact of the incident, but the company will undoubtedly work to prevent such destructive stunts in the future.
For Smith, his dangerous “prank” is now a stark reminder that reckless social media antics can lead to serious legal consequences—and jeopardize the public’s safety.
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