BLOOMINGTON — Bloomington Police arrested a man they say broke into the South Walnut Street Taco Bell and allegedly ate fries and sipped on a soft drink before the store opened.
Brandon Harden, 37, is charged with burglary, a Level 5 felony, theft with a prior conviction and possession of meth, both Level 6 felonies.
According to court documents, a Taco Bell manager arrived at the store the morning of Jan. 9, roughly an hour before the restaurant opened, unlocking the doors and turning on all of the interior lights.
That’s when, court documents state, she saw a man, later identified as Harden, walking out of the office.
The manager reportedly yelled out at Harden, but he went back into the office, grabbing a drink from a Taco Bell cup.
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“It’s okay, I’ll be back,” Harden allegedly told the woman, claiming his family owned the store.
According to court documents, Harden walked out the lobby door where he was stopped by a security guard who was outside until police arrived.
The store manager later found a container with a few fries left and believed Harden had eaten them. Court documents state the total for the two items was $6.57. The break-in was filed as a felony because of a theft conviction in 2011.
Police also allegedly found Harden was carrying meth. It is not known how he was able to get into the store.
According to online court records, Harden has several past criminal cases in Monroe County for charges including residential entry, criminal trespass, resisting law enforcement, disorderly conduct and public intoxication.
Harden also has pending charges for battery filed in October and possession of methamphetamine and paraphernalia filed last month.
