CAPE CORAL, Fla. — A Cape Coral man was arrested on Wednesday after being accused of stealing over $2,500 worth of groceries from a Publix in a Ramen-barcode-switching scheme.
According to the Cape Coral Police Department, David Crespo, 67, was arrested following an investigation that found 97 total reported thefts at the Publix at 2420 Santa Barbara Boulevard South.
The scheme began in December 2025, CCPD said, as Crespo carried out multiple price-switching thefts at self-checkout by scanning a low-cost Maruchan ramen noodle barcode, typically priced between $0.59 and $0.69, while bagging higher-priced groceries…