Florida man steals candle from mall and sprays bear repellent at employees before escaping

A portion of a US mall was evacuated after a Florida man stole candles from a store and then sprayed bear mace repellent at the employees before escaping from the spot. Bear mace acts as a strong irritant to a person’s eyes and respiratory system. The incident happened at a Bath and Body Works store in a plaza in the Doral suburb west of Miami on Saturday noon when the shoppers were busy collecting their items. According to the Miami Police, the unidentified man who is still at large, entered the shop and collected the candles in a bag, and fled the spot after spraying a strong irritant.

Candle thief affected 35 people 

According to the Police, at least 35 people were affected when the candle thief spayed bear mace repellent. It added that the store manager was also severely injured in the incident. "Some were taken to hospitals for treatment. However, we don't have an exact number about how many people were admitted to the hospital," added police officials.

Candle thief who sprays bear repellent is still at large 

Further, police officials said that a portion of the store was vacated following the incident. It added that the man who is still at large fled in a pre-booked cab. The suspect could face numerous armed robbery and aggravated battery charges once he is arrested, added the police official.

Another shocker: Florida man stole alligator from Golf Course in order to teach reptile a ‘lesson'

Similarly, Florida police arrested a strange man who stole a live alligator from a miniature golf course in order to "teach it a lesson", said Daytona Beach Shores police officers who spotted him attempting to throw a large semiaquatic reptile similar to a crocodile onto the roof of a cocktail lounge on Thursday. According to the police report accessed by the news agency AP, the 32-year-old man, William "Bubba" Hodge, hailing from Florida's Homestead, took the alligator by its tail, hit it against the canopy of the building, tossed it to the ground, and walked heavily on it. He was arrested after he was seen trying to throw the alligator onto the roof of a business and slamming it on the ground by its tail. 

(With inputs from AP)

(Image Credit: Pixabay)