Homeless Man Accused Of Pouring Bleach Into Supermarket Freezers

SANTA CLARA (CBSLA) - Federal officials say a transient suspected of pouring bleach into supermarket freezers in Southern California has been arrested.

David Clare Lohr was arrested last Wednesday in Sunnyvale on federal charges in Los Angeles of tampering and attempting to tamper with consumer products, according to the FBI.

The arrest came after deputies with the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Department received a report of a man spreading white powder and hydrogen peroxide aboard a public bus. The powder was later determined to be salt.

Lohr was seen on surveillance videos in Dec. 2018 and January 2019 pouring bleach into refrigerators and freezers containing packaged consumer products (such as ice, alcoholic beverages, and packaged frozen seafood) at supermarket locations in Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach, and West Los Angeles, according to a federal complaint.

The affected packages were later destroyed after some customers reported smelling bleach on products.

Authorities say there have been no known reports of individuals sickened by Lohr's action, but anyone who may have been impacted is urged to call 1-800-CALL-FBI.