A Pennsylvania man is recovering after he accidentally stabbed himself while allegedly trying to steal a cellphone, according to CBS Pittsburgh
Police in South Union Township said David Lee, 46, was in a Walmart Monday evening when he used a knife to remove a Straight Talk Wireless phone from the shelf.
A few minutes later, they said Lee was in the automotive aisle when he used the knife to try and open the packaging.
Instead, he allegedly stabbed himself in the arm, the website reports.
Store employees happened to notice Lee bleeding excessively and approached him, according to HeraldStandard.com.
Police said Lee tried to walk through the store while staff followed him. A trail of blood was dripping on the floor. Lee grabbed a towel off the shelf and wrapped it around his arm as he was trying to leave,.
Lee ran from the store and drove himself to a local hospital. However, the wound was so severe that he had to be flown to a Pittsburgh hospital, according to PennLive.com.
A hazmat crew was called to the store to clean up the blood, according to WPXI.com.
Police met up with Lee at the hospital and charged him with retail theft and disorderly conduct, according to the station.
Lee is expected to survive his self-inflicted stabbing, his mother told local media, and blamed his use of heroin on the incident.
Patty Lee told CBS Pittsburgh she "didn’t think he’d ever try that big of a stunt,” but said he's addicted to heroin and "“I don’t know where he’s going to end up at.”
