A prank popularized by young teens on YouTube hit St. Paul this past weekend with a wet, sloppy smash.
It's creatively dubbed "gallon smash," and involves throwing a gallon or two of milk onto a store floor, unleashing a dairy explosion, and then faking an accident by falling onto the ground, limbs akimbo.
St. Paul police said that a 16-year-old girl tried the prank at the Target on University Avenue about 10:56 p.m. March 9.
"Yes, it did occur in the dairy section," said Sgt. Paul Paulos, a police spokesman.
The girl was arrested for disorderly conduct and damage to property. She initially said she slipped and dropped the milk, but later admitted that she knew about the prank, had watched videos of it and plotted with two friends to carry it out at Target, Paulos said.
Paulos said that as far as he knows, it's St. Paul's maiden voyage into the troubled world of "gallon smash." Minneapolis police said they are not aware of any trouble in their city involving the volatile mix of dairy and teens.
Target Corp., on the other hand, seemed hip to the trend.
"Yes, we are aware of incidents like the one you described," company spokeswoman Molly Snyder said in a written statement. "We are taking these safety incidents very seriously and are partnering with our team and with law enforcement."
