Report: Charges dropped against teen accused of stealing 65-cent milk carton

DUMFRIES, Va. – Prosecutors have dropped the charges against a teen boy who was accused of stealing a 65-cent carton of milkfrom the cafeteria where he gets a free lunch, reports the Washington Post.

Ryan Turk, now 15, had reportedly been facing charges of disorderly conduct and petit larceny.

According to the Post, on May 10, 2016, Turk went back to the lunch line at Graham Park Middle School in Dumfries, Va. to get milk because he had forgotten it his first time through the line. He and his mother Shamise Turk say he was entitled to the milk as part of the free lunch program.

Police reportedly said that the boy became disorderly when an officer accused him of stealing milk. He was placed in handcuffs and, the teen admits, he “yanked away” from the officer, CBS affiliate WTVR reported.

The teen was taken to the principal’s office and searched for drugs, his mother said, and later charged with larceny.

“This is ridiculous... this is beyond embarrassing... he’s at home for 65 cents,” Shamise Turk told the station. “I’m angry, I’m frustrated, I’m mad. It just went too far. They are charging him with larceny, which I don’t have no understanding as to why he is being charged with larceny when he was entitled to that milk from the beginning.”

The Post reports that the teen’s trial was scheduled to begin Thursday, but that prosecutors dropped the charges after speaking with his counselor.