Woman unplugs ice cream freezer to charge phone at unattended store, owner files complaint

A woman was caught on camera unplugging a freezer at an unattended ice cream store to charge her phone, then leaving without restoring the power.

The store owner, who suffered losses after the ice cream melted, released the closed-circuit television footage. The owner has filed a complaint against the woman for business obstruction.

On Monday, a post appeared on an online community forum saying the owner intended to press charges against a woman who caused all the products at an unattended ice cream store to melt, disrupting business.

The post included a photo of a notice posted at the store.

The notice stated that a complaint for business obstruction had been filed, explaining that a customer had unplugged the freezer and left after charging her phone. It also noted that ice cream sales were restricted due to the melting.

The photo showed a young woman leaning against a freezer unit while charging her phone.

The owner said the woman had unplugged the freezer to charge her phone and left without reconnecting the power.

All the ice cream in the freezer subsequently melted and had to be discarded, the owner said, adding that a complaint had been filed against the woman for business obstruction.

The exact amount of financial damage was not disclosed.

Online commenters reacted with remarks including "a true villain," "make sure you get compensation," "find her and make her face the consequences," "the photo alone makes me angry," and "theft, business obstruction, destruction of property."