Wine shoplifter threatened to infect Tri-Cities store workers with COVID. He kept returning…
A 55-year-old man is accused of threatening to infect employees at a Pasco convenience store with COVID if they tried to stop him from stealing wine three days in a row. Scott A. Black’s comments that he would spit on employees if they tried to touch him, left the store manager so fearful that she was visibly shaking when contacted by police. Black was caught on the third day when two police officers parked outside the Maverik Adventure’s First Stop on North Road 68, waiting for the wine theft suspect to return. He ran from the gas station but was taken into custody at a nearby apartment complex where Black has lived, according to court documents. Police determined that he stole at least $60 worth of wine from the store.
Black was locked up on $5,000 bail and is charged in Franklin County Superior Court with second-degree robbery. He is scheduled to return to court Oct. 19 to enter a plea to the new felony charge. If he posts bail and is released from jail while the case is pending, Black has been ordered not to drink alcohol and to stay away from Maverick.
Documents show that Black went to the Maverik on Road 68 at 8:40 a.m. Sunday, casually walked to the wine aisle and grabbed two bottles of white wine. Pasco police said he was barefoot at the time and stole Barefoot-brand Moscato wine. He then left the store. When employees asked Black to stop because he hadn’t paid for the wine, “Black would tell them they can’t touch him and if they tried, he would give them COVID by spitting on them,” court documents said. “The employees felt threatened by this and would allow Black to leave the store.” Black returned to Maverik just 2 1/2 hours later at 11:20 a.m. to steal more wine “in the same exact way,” documents said. “Employees didn’t call the police at this point because they were fearful of Black spitting on them and spreading disease.” Black again went to Maverik at 2:08 p.m. Monday to steal two bottles.
He allegedly reiterated that he would spit on the employees if they got in his way and, when one worker got close, he made a gurgling sound in his throat like he was going to build up phlegm and spit on the person. The employees called 911 this time, but responding officers could not locate Black. Officer Adam Wright looked at security footage of Black from the store so he could share the suspect’s description with other officers. Wright and was at Maverik at 3:06 p.m. Wednesday when Black returned for more wine, court documents said. Once he was in custody, store employees shared that Black had come in several more times that were never reported to police. Black was advised of his constitutional rights and repeatedly told Wright he didn’t understand. Wright wrote in documents that he did not push the issue because, despite Black’s claims, he made comments like. “Oh, I bet they are upset with me,” and “Yeah, I know I did wrong.”
Read more at: https://www.theolympian.com/news/state/washington/article255024057.html
“Black would tell them they can’t touch him and if they tried, he would give them COVID by spitting on them“
– Scott Black
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