Man arrested for slipping razor blades into supermarket pizza dough packages
On the evening of October 11, the Police Department in Dover, New Hampshire, reported that they arrested a man on an active warrant. The man they arrested was suspected of placing razor blades into several packages of pizza dough in the neighboring state of Maine.
On October 6, the Saco Hannaford Supermarket in Saco, Maine, notified the Saco Police Department of a suspected incident of tampered food items. A customer had purchased a Portland Pie Pizza dough package and found razor blades inside the dough. The review of store security surveillance footage revealed a person seen tampering with several Portland Pie Pizza dough packages.
“Why someone would go in and put razor blades in pizza dough. That’s going to be the question that when we do locate the person, we’ll want to know. We don’t have an answer for why someone would do that,” Saco Deputy Chief Corey Huntress according to a report by the Bangor Daily News, (10/7/2020.)
Later that day, Saco Police identified the person involved in the tampering with the Pizza dough as Nicholas R. Mitchell, 38 years of age, a White male, 5’9″ tall, weighing 175 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes.
Nicholas Mitchell is a former associate of “It’ll be Pizza Company” who manufactures product for Portland Pie. Saco Police put out a notice seeking the public’s assistance in locating their pizza dough tampering suspect.
At the time of the food tampering incident, Mitchell was driving a 2005 gray or silver-colored Toyota Camry with a black left front fender and a sunroof, with ME registration 6134XP. The Saco Police Department issued a warrant for his arrest.
Hannaford Supermarkets have recalled their Portland Pie dough and cheese in the off-chance that additional packages may have been tampered with.
A recall was issued for all Portland Pie cheese and fresh dough sold in the deli department and Hannaford has removed all Portland Pie branded products from all stores.
Customers who purchased Portland Pie pizza dough and cheese sold in the deli at any Hannaford store between Aug. 1 and Oct. 11, 2020 should not consume the products and may return it to the store for the full refund, the company said. ~ Bangor Daily News, 10/12/2020
Fortunately, no injuries or illnesses have been reported in connection with the food tampering.
“We wish to thank the public and the Dover, NH police department for their help in locating and taking Nicholas Mitchell into custody.” ~ Saco Police Department, News Center Maine, 10/12/2020
According to the police, this case is still under investigation. If you have purchased Portland Pie Pizza dough and have found razor blades inside the dough, call the Saco Police Department’s Detective Division at (207) 282-8216.
(Source: Saco Police Department)
(Cover photo, Nicholas R. Mitchell mugshot, Image credit: Saco Police Department)
~ Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today / Connect with Richard on Facebook and Twitter
