California man convicted of elder abuse in Nutella fracas

[October 31, 2015]  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A Los Angeles-area man pleaded no contest on Friday to elder abuse for punching a 78-year-old fellow shopper in the face at a store after he complained the younger man had grabbed too many Nutella waffle samples.

Derrick Gharabighi, 24, was at a store in Burbank last month when he stopped for a free sample of the sweet treat, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office said.

As the elderly man reached for a waffle, Gharabighi grabbed them all, the prosecutor's office said.

The victim told Gharabighi not to take so many and Gharabighi responded by punching the man in the face, the district attorney's office said.

The victim was taken a nearby hospital where he was treated for his injuries.

Gharabighi will be sentenced on Sept. 20, 2016. He faces up to two years in prison.

(Reporting by Steve Gorman and Victoria Cavaliere in Los Angeles; Editing by Kim Coghill)

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