Brazen Daylight Rib Roast Heist Thwarted By Alert Supermarket Manager

A man who stuffed a large Angus beef rib roast worth $62 down the front of his pants at a Florida supermarket had his alleged meat heist spoiled by an alert store employee, according to an arrest report.

Cops say that Eric Worden, 40, jammed a seven-pound rib roast into his pants and then sought to exit a Publix supermarket in Parrish, a Tampa suburb. But Worden’s rib bid late last month was thwarted by a Publix manager who approached the accused thief to “challenge him about the roast concealed in his pants.”

“Alright, you got me,” Worden reportedly declared as he “removed the roast before fleeing out the exit doors” around 8:30 AM.

Worden, seen at right, was subsequently apprehended in the shopping plaza where Publix is located. After initially claiming that he had not stolen the rib roast (since he dropped it before fleeing), Worden acknowledged putting the meat down his pants, and that he had no money to pay for the rib roast.

After its stay inside Worden's pants, the rib roast was discarded “due to contamination,” cops reported.

Worden was charged with misdemeanor theft and booked into the county jail. Now free on $500 bond, Worden has pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor count. Worden has a lengthy rap sheet, which includes time in state prison for burglary and trafficking in stolen property.