Ex-pizza chain employee arrested for putting razor blades in dough

A former pizza company employee has been arrested after he was caught stuffing razor blades into dough sold at a supermarket in Maine, police said.

The food-tampering incident came to light after a customer purchased pizza dough at Hannaford Supermarket in Saco and discovered the sharp implements inside the package Oct. 6, according to the Saco Police Department.

Surveillance footage showed a man — later identified as Nicholas R. Mitchell — tampering with the packaging of Portland Pie Pizza products in the store.

Police said 38-year-old Mitchell was a former employee of the It’ll Be Pizza company, which manufactures the dough.

Authorities called on the public Sunday for help tracking down Mitchell, who they said left the store in a 2005 silver or gray Toyota Camry.

Within two hours, authorities tracked him to Dover, New Hampshire, around 50 miles away, police said.

“This evening the Dover, NH Police Department located Nicholas Mitchell and took him into custody on the outstanding warrant for his arrest in the Hannaford’s Portland Pie pizza dough razor blade case,” police said.

No charges have been announced in the case. It’s unclear what the motive was behind the alleged food tampering.

Hannaford Supermarkets has recalled Portland Pie pizza dough and cheese sold in the deli at any location between Aug. 1 and Oct. 11. Customers are urged to return the items for a full refund.

“After what is believed to be further malicious tampering incidents involving metal objects inserted into Portland Pie products, Hannaford has removed all Portland Pie products from all store shelves and has paused replenishment of the products indefinitely,” the grocery store said in a statement.

via: https://nypost.com/2020/10/12/man-arrested-for-putting-razor-blades-in-pizza-dough/

Photo Credit: Saco Police Department