Human Feces Found In Local Produce Department

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By By Michelle Esteban

Summary

A homeless man was arrested after human feces was found in the produce section of a Safeway grocery store at the Evergreen Village Shopping Center Sunday night.

Story Published: Sep 20, 2004 at 3:31 PM PDT

Story Updated: Aug 31, 2006 at 1:34 AM PDT

Human Feces Found In Local Produce Department
BELLEVUE - A homeless man was arrested after human feces was found in the produce section of a Safeway grocery store at the Evergreen Village Shopping Center Sunday night.

According to Safeway, it all started when a man told an employee that he smelled something funny in the produce section. The employee noticed that the man smelled like feces.

Employees checked the produce section and found human feces on some of the produce. Workers immediately shut down the produce section. Everything was thrown out and the area was sanitized.

Safeway workers hustled all night to replace all of the produce.

Police estimate the store threw out about $35,000 worth of produce.

Cherie Meyers, Safeway's Communications Director, says they decided to shut down the entire store at midnight. When the store was closed they inspected every inch of it but didn't find any more contaminated items.

"I was surprised, I was shocked, but more importantly I was concerned who had been in the store," said Meyers. "I wanted to make sure whatever customers were there, that we immediately started taking care of things."

"It's very unusual it's something we don't come across every day and we hope we don't come across it again," said Bellevue Police Tory Mangione.

Police were called out to investigate right away. Officers found the man who reported the feces sitting in a park across the street.

Police say he's 23-years-old, homeless, has been living in the Bellevue area for just a few days. Detectives suspect he has some type mental problem. The suspect is being held on investigation of felony malicious mischief and he could face serious jail time.

If you shopped at the Evergreen Village Safeway in Bellevue between 7:30 and 11:00 p.m. Sunday and purchased produce you should not eat it. You can return the produce to the store for a refund. If you have food that appears to be contaminated wrap it in plastic and return it to the store.

Officials with the health department stress if you find contaminated produce do not eat it because there is no way to safely decontaminate it.