Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, one of the world’s most beloved and controversial snack-food items, are back in the news this week. Banned at certain schools in California and New Mexico, and accused of literally melting children's stomachs from the inside out, the fiery cheese-puffs almost caused a building to go up in flames this week—well, sort of.
According to the St. Louis Post Dispatch, a 33-year-old man named Joshua Lee Crook attempted to burn a gas station to the ground after the store’s clerk stopped him from stealing a bag of flamin’ hot goodness on Sunday.
Crook had allegedly stolen from the store in the past, and when the manager saw him pick up a bag of the chili powder-packed snacks, he confronted him. Though Crook did finally put the Cheetos back on the shelf and leave, he came back inside just a minute later, grabbed the bag again, and proceeded to spray a pool of gasoline in the parking lot.
Clearly not the brightest bulb in the box, Crook failed to actually start a fire with his cigarette, and is now being held on $20,000 bail for first-degree attempted arson.
It seems police then had to hold Crook’s head in place to take a mugshot. To be fair, that’s the face most people make when they get hold of a couple extra-spicy Flamin’ Hot Cheetos anyways. Maybe Crook was able to slip a cheese-puff out of the bag before getting cuffed.