UPDATED 07/5/19 9:55 p.m. ET: Police claim to have identified the person seen licking a tub of Blue Bell ice cream and putting it back at a Lufkin, Texas Walmart as being 17 years old. Her name has not been released due to her age. Prior to being identified as being a minor, the alleged ice cream tamperer was facing up to 20 years in prison, CBS News reports.
"We have identified the 'Blue Bell licker' as a juvenile from San Antonio. Under Texas law, anyone under the age of 17 is considered a juvenile," Lufkin police wrote on Facebook. "The suspect is tied to the Lufkin area through her boyfriend’s family. We have spoken with her boyfriend, who is an adult, as well. They were both forthcoming with what occurred and admitted to the act."
The post continued by saying that they will not "pursue charges" due to her age. "We do not intend to pursue charges against her as an 'adult' and therefore what happens from here is at the discretion of the juvenile justice system. We cannot speak for them as to what charge she will face in the juvenile justice system."
See original story below.
Blue Bell Creameries is investigating a video in which a woman is seen licking a tub of ice cream before placing it back in a grocery store freezer.
"Lick it!" a man off-camera says in the footage, before the woman puts her tongue on the the brand's Tin Roof-flavored ice cream. "Oh, you foul. Put it back, put it back."
The now-viral clip has circulated on social media platforms over the past week, sparking reactions of disgust and outrage.
We want to thank our consumers for alerting us to the recent food tampering incident. We take this issue very seriously and are currently working with law enforcement, retail partners and social media platforms. This type of incident will not be tolerated. Food safety is a top priority, and we work hard to provide a safe product and maintain the highest level of confidence from our consumers.
Blue Bell has since responded to the video, claiming it was looking into the matter with the help of police.
The company released the following statement to ABC7 News:
The video has prompted criticism of Blue Bell's packaging—specifically, it's lack of a protective seal; however, the ice cream maker insists its packaging methods ensure any tampering would be detectable by customers.
"During production, our half gallons are flipped upside down and sent to a hardening room where the ice cream freezes to create a natural seal," the statement continued. "The lids are frozen tightly to the carton. Any attempt at opening the product should be noticeable."
On Wednesday, Dallas Morning News reported Blue Bell as saying the ice cream incident occurred at a Walmart in Lufkin, Texas.
"We believe we may have recovered the half gallon that was tampered with," Blue Bell said in a statement. "Out of an abundance of caution, we have also removed all Tin Roof half gallons from that location."
Lufkin police, who say the ice cream licking went down on Friday, are now working the case and plan to file "appropriate charges."
Several outlets previously reported the woman in the video is a San Antonio resident, but the San Antonio Police Department recently told Inside Edition officers were not investigating the incident because they could not determine the woman's residency.
According to Texas law, a person can be charged with a felony if he/she "knowingly or intentionally tampers with a consumer product knowing that the consumer product will be offered for sale to the public or as a gift to another."
We'll keep you posted as more details about the case become available.
