South Carolina woman charged in connection with 2 grocery store 'hand-licking incidents' in 5 days

SUMTER, S.C. -- A South Carolina woman was arrested and charged after sheriff's officials said she licked her hands and then touched grocery store fixtures and products.

It happened Saturday, May 2.

Sumter police said Shenir Gibson Holliday, 38, of Sumter, S.C. was taken into custody after officers responded to a call regarding a suspicious person at the IGA grocery store on Pinewood Road. After locating the woman in the parking lot, officers were able to identify her and determine she matched the description of the suspect in a hand-licking incident.

According to police, surveillance video showed Holliday licking her hands and coughing before pulling on freezer doors and touching food items inside the store. Police said she also was seen doing the same in the dry food section of the store.

She was charged with aggravated breach of peace and food tampering -- and cited for violation of the state home or work order.

Police noted she was charged by the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office for a similar incident at the Sub Station II on Peach Orchard Road on Monday, April 27.

Bond was set at $100,000, and COVID-19 testing was ordered for Holliday -- being held at the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office Detention Center.