No Costco for Old Men: 24-Year-Old Arrested for Elder Abuse After Alleged Nutella Sample Showdown
Violence erupted Sunday at a Burbank, California, Costco after an elderly shopper reprimanded a 24-year-old man for allegedly eating too many Nutella samples. According to police, Derrick Gharabighi punched the 78-year-old victim in response to the allegations of hazelnut spread hoarding.
The L.A. Times reports that as the older man reached for the delicious treat, Gharabighi reportedly snatched the remaining samples away. Undeterred by their 54-year age difference, the older man confronted Gharabighi and asked for a sample.
“The victim told Mr. Gharabighi that he wanted a sample and he shouldn’t take so many,” Burbank police Sgt. Claudio Losacco told the Los Angeles Times.
This didn’t sit well with Gharabighi, who allegedly responded by punching the older man just above his left eye, resulting in a 1-inch gash and enough swelling that the man required hospitalization.
Gharabighi was arrested and is being held in lieu $50,000 bond on charges of elder abuse, with an additional charge that he inflicted significant bodily harm on a person over 70; if convicted, he faces up to 11 years in prison.
