HOUSTON – The young woman seen in the video licking Blue Bell ice cream and then placing it back into a freezer case is a juvenile, according to Lufkin police.
In an update on its Facebook page, officers wrote that detectives have identified and spoken with the suspect and her boyfriend. She is from San Antonio and is tied to the Lufkin area through her boyfriend's family.
VIRAL BLUE BELL VIDEO UPDATE: We have identified the “Blue Bell licker” as a juvenile from San Antonio. Under Texas law,...
Posted by Lufkin Police & Fire on Friday, July 5, 2019
"Because she is a juvenile offender, her identity is protected under section 58.104 of the Texas Family Code," according to the post. "The case will be turned over to the Texas Juvenile Justice Department and remains under investigation.'
No charges have been filed, as of this writing.
Blue Bell posted a statement to its website Friday that read:
"We thank everyone for their assistance in this case including the San Antonio Police Department, Lufkin Police Department, Walmart, and our customers who alerted us to this incident.
"Food safety is our top priority, and we work hard to provide a safe product and maintain the highest level of confidence from our consumers. We are always looking for ways to improve, including looking at methods within our manufacturing process to add additional protection to the carton.
"This case is now in the hands of the Texas Juvenile Justice Department to pursue however it deems appropriate."
Police have identified her and referred the case to the Texas Juvenile Justice Department. Texas law protects the identity of juvenile offenders, so KPRC has determined that her face will not be shown in our coverage going forward.