Man Demands Pickle Before Going to Jail

A man asked to leave a Wesley Chapel Comfort Inn late Wednesday night had just one demand before a deputy escorted him to the Land O' Lakes jail.

"I'm not going anywhere till I eat a pickle," Jonathon Mark Aikin said.

According to a Pasco County complaint affidavit, Aikin, 48, was told "numerous times" to leave the Comfort Inn at 5624 Oakley Blvd.

Aikin is part of a roofing crew whose employer had purchased a room for three employees, PSO spokesman Kevin Doll said.

The men, who had been drinking, "started a ruckus" at the hotel and were asked by the manager to leave, Doll said.

When a responding deputy arrived, two of the men agreed to leave on their own.

Not Aikin.

The Alachua resident refused to gather his belongings and said he should not have to go anywhere, according to the compaint affidavit.  After about 10 minutes of arguing with the deputy, Aikin said he would not go anywhere until he ate a pickle.

Aikin opened the refrigerator in the room and took out a jar of pickles, the report stated. He began eating the pickle as he was placed under arrest.

Aikin was transported to the Land O' Lakes jail at about midnight Wednesday, May 9, and charged with trespass after warning. He was released late Thursday on $50 bond.

It is unclear from reports whether he was able to finish his pickle.