Police identify culprit who licked ice cream, returned pint to freezer in viral video

07/05/2019 UPDATE: The Lufkin Police Department in Texas announced on Friday that it identified the suspect at the center of a viral video who is seen licking the inside of an ice cream tub and returning it to the shelf in a Walmart store.

Lufkin Police Department spokeswoman Jessica Pebsworth tells Yahoo Lifestyle that the woman in question is a juvenile from San Antonio, Texas, and her identity has not been publicly released. The case will be turned over to the Texas Juvenile Justice Department.

The police department obtained surveillance footage from inside a Lufkin, Texas Walmart store and have also identified the man who was heard egging on the woman in the video. His identity has not been made public either, and the case remains under investigation, Pebsworth says.

In a Facebook post on Wednesday, officials released an image of the pair entering the store together.

Blue Bell Creameries spokeswoman Jenny Van Dorf tells Yahoo Lifestyle that she believes the company was able to recover the tub that was tampered with. They have also removed all other tubs of the Tin Roof ice cream flavor from the Lufkin Walmart out of “an abundance of caution.”

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People are horrified after a video surfaced online showing a woman licking a tub of ice cream in a grocery store and then returning it to the freezer.

A Twitter user posted the video on Saturday, calling the action “psychotic behavior.” In the clip, a person is heard egging on the woman to lick the Blue Bell Creameries Tin Roof flavored ice cream, and then telling her to put it back in the freezer.

People on Twitter were alarmed and made sure to let Blue Bell Creameries know. The company responded to their messages, assuring consumers that they “take the issue very seriously.”

Blue Bell Creameries spokesman Jenny Van Dorf tells Yahoo Lifestyle the company is “currently working with law enforcement, retail partners and social media platforms” to get to the bottom of what happened.

“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,” Van Dorf says.

Some Twitter users took issue with the fact that Blue Bell Ice Cream doesn’t have a seal to deter people from tampering with their products.

However, Van Dorf tells Yahoo Lifestyle that their ice cream tubs are protected by a natural seal and it should be clear to a customer if their product has been opened.

“During production, our half gallons are flipped upside down and sent to a hardening room where the ice cream freezes to the lid creating a natural seal,” Van Dorf says. “The lids are frozen tightly to the carton. Any attempt at opening the product should be noticeable.”

Others were shocked that licking the tub isn’t a criminal offense because of how harmful it can be for people who are immunocompromised.

It is unclear where the incident took place. Blue Bell Creameries declined to provide more information on the store or its location, saying “we are investigating this matter and are not ready to release any details at this time.”

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