Police seek person who released bed bugs in Walmart store

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Someone appears to have deliberately attempted to release bedbugs in a Walmart store in Pennsylvania, and police are searching for whoever was behind it, authorities said Monday.

Troopers have made no arrests and do not have any suspects, a state police spokeswoman said. A manager from the Walmart store in Edinboro, in northwestern Pennsylvania, contacted police Saturday after store employees found pill bottles with bugs in them.

It started Thursday, when store staff found a closed pill bottle containing live bugs. The bottle was found in a piece of merchandise, a boy’s jacket, in the clothing department and thrown out in the trash, police said.

A day later, a hygiene services contractor contacted by Walmart found bugs crawling around in the men’s fitting room and identified them as bedbugs, police said.

On Saturday, a store worker found a second pill bottle on the floor of the men’s department. It was closed and contained several dead bugs, police said.

Troopers were testing for fingerprints on the bottle while store officials were reviewing surveillance video, police said. Walmart said it was taking the matter seriously, including cooperating with police and blocking off the affected area.