Lenise Martin III, 36, was detained by deputies from the Assumption Parish Sheriff’s Office after the stunt, which was seemingly intended for social media.
It appeared to copy the actions of a Texas teenager who was recently in trouble with police after licking the same brand of ice cream and putting it back on a shelf.
Martin claimed to have bought the ice cream and as the footage emerged he returned to show the store manager his receipt. But he was still questioned by police, who charged him with unlawful posting of criminal activity for notoriety/publicity and tampering with property, WAFB reported.
Inmate records confirmed the charges and released the suspect’s mugshot. Local media reported Martin remained in custody as of yesterday and a bond had not yet been determined.
Assumption Parish detectives discovered video of the incident had been posted to a Facebook page. Copycat footage also spread on Twitter, where it quickly attracted over 50,000 views.
Police chief Lonny Cavalier told CNN the purchase did not impact the decision to pursue charges and described Martin’s actions as a “terrible” decision.
He said: “Taking into consideration that he eventually purchased the same container is one thing. However he puts it on Facebook to gain this notoriety and at the end of the day, it gives other people ideas that are not the best interest of public health.”
A spokesperson for the Assumption Parish Sheriff’s Office told WAFB that any future social media offenders would face legal action “immediately and with the full extent of the law”
“We discourage anyone from copying this atrocious act,” the spokesperson said. “It is illegal. It’s a health risk to others. We will pursue anyone we see do this. You will be charged.”
Officials from Lufkin Police Department, in Texas, released a statement on July 5 confirming the original “Blue Bell licker” had been identified as a juvenile from San Antonio who was linked to the area by her boyfriend’s family. The teen and the boyfriend admitted to the act, police said.
The department said it did not intend to pursue charges against her as an adult and any decision would now be at the discretion of the juvenile justice system. Detectives had faced trouble in identifying the suspect because multiple others had taken responsibility online by stealing the video and claiming it as their own.
In a statement released the same day, Blue Bell said: “We work hard to provide a safe product and maintain the highest level of confidence from our consumers. We are always looking for ways to improve, including looking at methods within our manufacturing process to add additional protection to the carton. This case is now in the hands of the Texas Juvenile Justice Department to pursue however it deems appropriate.”
