Fort Pierce man accused of pilfering peach pie from Winn-Dixie

A man accused of absconding with peach pie and fried chicken from Winn-Dixie was arrested after police spotted him munching a fruit pie and carrying five gallon buckets, according to recently released records.

Identified by police as the pie and poultry pilferer, Patrick McCall, 44, was arrested Aug. 4 on three misdemeanor charges following the incidents at a Winn-Dixie in the 2000 block of South U.S. 1 in Fort Pierce.

A Winn-Dixie store manager told Fort Pierce police he suspected McCall of filching food from the deli area. The manager said he stopped McCall and asked McCall to show him what was in the five gallon buckets he was carrying, but he refused.

McCall left the store, but the manager reported seeing a box with peach pie and packaging used in the deli for pre-prepared chicken meals.

Police stopped McCall walking out of the Winn-Dixie parking lot. An officer noted he was eating a "fruit filled pie," and carrying a couple of five gallon buckets.

Police cuffed McCall and, after a struggle, found pie remains on the hood of an officer's vehicle. The pie detritus "smelled and looked to be peach," an affidavit states. Police asked McCall if he had a receipt for the pie. He said he brought it from home, but an officer found a $1.69 discarded peach pie box.

A peach pie is a pie made from peaches, a yellowish-orange fruit with fuzzy skin oft associated with Georgia. Peaches also can be used in preparing a cobbler, crumble, crepe, crisp, compote, betty, buckle, Danish, daiquiri, jam, fritter, slump, sorbet, tart, gelato, muffins, trifle, ice cream, yogurt, smoothie and schnapps.

The peaches in question are not to be confused with the singing duo Peaches & Herb, whose hits include "Shake Your Groove Thing" and "Reunited," or with Peaches Geldof, the daughter of Bob Geldof and Paula Yates, or with "Peaches," a 28-year-old adult film actress from Hungary.

Meanwhile, two pieces of fried chicken wrapped in a Winn-Dixie bag were in one of the buckets. The items were cold and couldn't have been out of refrigeration for long.

McCall, of Fort Pierce, said he brought the chicken from home, which he said was at least a 30 minute walk.