Man suffers medical emergency at grocery store, receives shoplifting citation

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A Montgomery County man cited for shoplifting is blaming a condition called Transient Global Amnesia.

He says it came on while he was at the Safeway store in Wheaton on February 24. Dev Bashu says he became disoriented and unable to communicate.

He says the store security handcuffed him and called Montgomery County police. The officers called for an ambulance, but according to Montgomery County fire officials, Bashu signed a release refusing to be transported to a hospital.

The 46-year-old claims he didn't know what was going on. The papers he found in his pocket the following day say he was cited for intending to steal $73 worth of food. The citation carries a fine of $500.

When his wife eventually took him to the hospital, he was diagnosed with the rare condition in which a person doesn't know where they are and they can't form any new memories. The condition lasts about six hours and there is no known cause or treatment. But the numbness in Bashu's arm is consistent with the symptoms.

Safeway says it is looking into the incident.

Bashu is due in court later this month.