Tightwad Gourmand Gets to Sample Jail's Bill of Fare

After sitting down alone and ordering enough food for a family at a Wauwatosa pizzeria, a rotund Waukesha man was detained and police were called to arrest him when he couldn't pay his bill.

Seem a little harsh?

Nope, good call. Turns out he makes a habit of stuffing himself for free.

At 9:41 p.m. Monday, the 56-year-old Waukesha man was arrested for fraud on a merchant after he ordered $60.56 worth of food at Edwardo’s Pizza, 10845 Blue Mound Rd., and couldn't pay the bill.

A server said she brought the man his check after he finished, and he just sat and stared at it for a long time. Then he checked his wallet and said he had no cash. He tried three credit and debit cards, but all were declined.

He asked staff to call a check cashing service, but they were unable to reach it. He tried placing a call to Chase Bank to rectify the "problem" with his cards, but Edwardo's management said they weren't sure he was really calling at all.

Finally, he admitted he had no means to pay his bill. Edwardo’s management decided to call the police.

Officers found that the man has three open cases against him for the same offense in Waukesha County, plus six prior convictions on the same charges.

He was sent to jail, and his case was to have been forwarded Wednesday to the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s office seeking yet another charge of defrauding a merchant, this time with an enhancer as a habitual criminal, as well as a count of bail jumping.

The suspect, who weighs 298 pounds, ordered a soda, garlic strips, chicken strips, a Caesar salad, a large stuffed pizza with chunky sauce, mozzerella cheese, sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms, roasted red peppers and pineapple.

And three cookies.