Elderly Man Allegedly Punched In The Face Over Costco Nutella Samples

A California man was arrested for allegedly punching an elderly Costco shopper in the face in a dispute over free Nutella samples.

Derrick Gharabighi, 24, is accused of taking all the Nutella waffle samples just as an elderly man was reaching out to select one at the warehouse club's Burbank location on Sunday, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said in a news release. 

When the elderly man, whose identity was not released, said not to take so many samples, Gharabighi allegedly punched him in the face, the DA's office said. 

The victim was treated at a hospital for a "significant laceration above his left eye and swelling around the same area of his face," police told the Los Angeles Daily News.

"It's a shame that it had to come to this over a Nutella sample," Burbank Police Department Sgt. Claudio Losacco told KTLA. "It's a tragic situation where someone in their 70s, almost 80 years old, is faced with something like this." 

Gharabighi has multiple arrests on his record, including one just two weeks ago, and has been previously convicted of possessing illegal drugs for sale, petty theft and trespassing, KTLA reported.  He has also been charged with felony spousal abuse and spousal battery in a case still pending. 

KTLA said police confirmed that this is Gharabighi's Instagram page, which is full of selfies: 

Gharabighi was charged on Tuesday with "one count of elder abuse with the special allegation that he personally inflicted great bodily injury on someone who is more than 70 years old," the DA's office said.

Gharabighi has pleaded not guilty. If convicted, he could face more than 11 years in prison. 

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