2 Arrested In Attempted Theft Of 40 Cartons Of Ice Cream From Chelsea Store

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Two suspects have been arrested and charged weeks after they allegedly swiped dozens of pints of ice cream from a Gristedes grocery store in Chlesea.

As WCBS 880's Mike Smeltz reported, police alleged Mark Hicks and Ebony Gillian walked into the Gristedes in Chelsea earlier this month and started loading pints of ice cream into their cart.

The store manager became suspicious, asking them what exactly they were doing with what turned out to be 40 cartons of Häagen-Dazs and Ben & Jerry's products, police said. The suspects rain away without making off with the ice cream, police said.

Hicks and Gillian were out free until the Post said the couple was turned in by their landlord – after Hicks allegedly bragged that he was famous for getting his photo printed in the newspaper.

Both Hicks and Gillian have been charged with petit larceny.

John Catsimatidis, the billionaire owner of the Gristedes grocery store chain, told CBS2 earlier this month that the ice cream theft was part of a pattern.

He said the criminals hit various markets – both his Gristedes markets and his competitors all around Manhattan. CVS and Duane Reade stores have also had their freezers cleaned out.

"Our Upper East Side stores, Upper West Side stores, we lost it in Battery Park City, and it's time these guys got captured," Catsimatidis said on Aug. 12.

Police said the stolen ice cream is quickly resold to small local stores for as low as 10 cents on the dollar.

Ice cream thefts so far this year account for about 250 cases of product with 130 arrests.

Chain stores are responding by hiding special markings on ice cream containers, so as to help police track them to the small resale markets and stop the slick trick from spreading.

Meanwhile, shoppers are warned to check for freezer burn and other evidence that ice cream was stolen. If it melted in transit, the ice cream could contain harmful bacteria.