Lenise Martin III shared a video of himself licking an ice cream carton in a grocery store in an attempt to go viral, authorities said.
Turns out the juvenile who went viral isn’t the only one licking Blue Bell ice creams.
Lenise Martin III, 36, of Louisiana was arrested Saturday after a video of him allegedly licking a Blue Bell Ice Cream from a grocery store in Belle Rose was uploaded on Facebook.
The video, which authorities believe Martin posted himself so he could enjoy his own 15 minutes of fame, showed the man taking the carton out of the freezer, licking and poking the ice cream, and putting it back on the shelf, Assumption Parish sheriff’s deputies told CNN.
Authorities believe Martin was inspired to tamper with the food by the viral video that sparked outrage last week.
Martin was reportedly charged with unlawful posting of criminal activity for notoriety and publicity and criminal mischief for allegedly tampering with property at the time, CNN reported.
However, Martin showed detectives a receipt for the purchase of a carton of Blue Bell Ice Cream, suggesting he paid for the ice cream he allegedly contaminated, Cmdr. Lonny Cavalier told CNN.
Cavalier said the proof of purchase doesn’t absolve him “because at any rate, it’s a terrible thing to do,” he told CNN.
“Taking into consideration that he eventually purchased the same container is one thing … however, he puts it on Facebook to gain notoriety and at the end of the day, it gives other people ideas that are not in the best interest of public health,” Cavalier told CNN.
Martin has since been released from custody, the Assumption Police Detention Center confirmed to InsideEdition.com.
InsideEdition.com was not able to get in touch with Martin or his legal representative.
Meanwhile, the original juvenile caught on camera licking the tub of Blue Bell ice cream in Texas has been identified.
Police in Lufkin said they identified the grocery store to be a local Walmart and the suspect is from the San Antonio area. Because she is a minor, authorities will not be releasing her name and the case was turned over to the Texas Juvenile Justice Department, CBS News reported.
Blue Bell said in a statement they inspected the ice creams and believe the carton in question was never sold.
“Food safety is our top priority, and we work hard to provide a safe product and maintain the highest level of confidence from our consumers. We are always looking for ways to improve, including looking at methods within our manufacturing process to add additional protection to the carton,” the statement read.
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