Owner not pressing charges after Ariana Grande seen licking doughnuts
The owner of a Lake Elsinore doughnut shop has declined to press charges against pop singer Ariana Grande after she and her boyfriend were captured on surveillance video licking food at the eatery on the Fourth of July.
The singer and her boyfriend aren’t in trouble for their actions, but now Wolfee Donuts, located at 29997 Canyon Hills Road, is dealing with the aftermath of the tampering.
The video shows Grande and her companion licking doughnuts that were sitting on top of a display case while a few other customers were waiting for service. The incident happened around 11:30 p.m., according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.
A store employee was swapping out older doughnuts with fresh ones when she placed them on the shelf, according to store owner Joe Marin. Grande asked the employee to retrieve fresh doughnuts from the back of the bakery, so the employee left the tray of powered doughnuts on the display unattended, he told The Times.
It was then that Grande and her friend licked the tray during a game of Truth or Dare, Marin said.
TMZ has identified the man as Grande’s boyfriend and backup dancer, Ricky Alvarez.
Marin took the video to detectives Tuesday night and filed a report, but sheriff’s officials don’t believe a crime was committed, so they won’t be investigating Grande or her boyfriend.
Officials said the incident was only documented to assist the Department of Environmental Health.
California health laws require restaurants to protect all food from contact with the public. Doughnut shop manager Ricky Marin said the doughnuts sold out that night, so it’s possible that someone ate the doughnuts licked by Grande and her friend.
Officials with the Riverside County Health Department said various violations were revealed at Wolfee Donuts after inspecting the facility on July 8. The shop didn’t pass the health inspection after receiving a score of 86, or a ‘B’ rating. Officials said in order to pass, the shop would have needed sufficient points to receive an ‘A’ grading.
A public information officer with the health department said, “They [Wolfee Donuts] were inspected yesterday [Wednesday] and did not pass the inspection. Their score was an 86 so they are currently a B. Their re-inspection is set for the 15th, although most facilities correct the violations quickly and request the re-inspection sooner. If that occurs, we always try to comply so they get their passing A grade back up. No monetary fines are issued and no citations will be issued to the owner or employee in this case.”
Management may request an earlier inspection date if the violations are corrected sooner, and then the store can remain open for business under the current score.
