Police: Pa. man stole sanitizer to make cocktails

ALTOONA, Pa. — Authorities say a man stole 12 bottles of hand sanitizer from a central Pennsylvania hospital so he could mix it with orange juice and drink it for the alcohol it contained.

The Altoona Mirror reports 51-year-old Lee Ammerman has been mailed a summons requiring him to surrender Feb. 5 on charges of theft and receiving stolen property.

Police say an employee at UPMC Altoona hospital saw Ammerman steal a bottle of sanitizer in October by hiding it in an arm sling he was wearing. They say Ammerman returned to steal more sanitizer twice in December.

Police say they confronted Ammerman, who acknowledged stealing the sanitizer, saying, "I mix the liquid with orange juice."

The hospital is seeking about $80 in restitution.

Ammerman doesn't have a listed phone or an attorney named in court records.