BLAINE, Minn. — Blaine police say an elderly couple who ordered groceries through Instacart last week opened their door to a derogatory message from the delivery driver, and found their groceries destroyed.
Police say it appeared the couple was targeted due to a sign supporting law enforcement that was visible in the front yard of the home.
"It appears the delivery driver's actions were in response to a sign that was posted," said Blaine Police Chief Brian Podany.
According to a statement released by the Blaine Police Department Monday, the incident occurred Dec. 6 after the couple placed their grocery order from Cub Foods through the Instacart delivery service. They told police that when they got a notification indicating the delivery driver had arrived, they went outside to meet them because they were worried the driver might get stuck in the driveway due to large amounts of snow.
The couple says they opened their door to the delivery person driving back and forth in the driveway, and yelling for them to check the inside of their Christmas wreath. The wreath produced the receipt from their grocery order, allegedly containing a derogatory message.
When the driver left, the couple says they found that their groceries had been run over in the driveway.
Police say after reviewing the message on the receipt, it appeared the driver took those actions because of the law enforcement sign.
"It's unfortunate that someone would have that kind of strong feelings that they would do that to an innocent elderly couple out here," said Podany.
The homeowners have received a full refund from Instacart, and authorities have identified the driver and continue to investigate the situation.
Instacart issued a statement to KARE 11 Monday evening, saying the company is "appalled by the unacceptable actions of this shopper," and the delivery driver was removed from the platform.
A GoFundMe that was started for the couple surpassed its goal of $500, and currently sits at over $7,000.
Read Instacart's full statement below:
“We’re appalled by the unacceptable actions of this shopper, who has been removed from the Instacart platform as a result. We've been in direct contact with the customers to refund their order and provide additional resources. We'll continue to provide support to the impacted customers and will also work directly with local law enforcement on any investigations into this matter."