Man Finds 2 Geckos In His Beer Can, Sues Heineken

A California man sued Heineken, claiming he found two geckos in his beer can. However, the tables turned and the beer company claimed the man was crying wolf.

George Toubbeh, 49, said he found the two reptiles in a Heineken beer can he bought in August 2015 from a supermarket in Fountain Valley. He filed a lawsuit against the beer company, claiming he fell "violently ill" after consumption.

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Toubbeh opened a 24-ounce can of beer he purchased from Ralph’s supermarket — owned by Kroger Company — and noticed a strange taste. After he had consumed the beer, Toubbeh experienced severe stomach pain and vomiting, the lawsuit stated. His daughter inspected the can and discovered two dead geckos inside, according to reports.

He discovered the lizards intact. They were most likely alive when the factory sealed the can, according to the lawsuit.

"When discovered, the geckos had not been decomposed at all and were likely alive when the beer was poured and sealed into the cans in the bottling and/or canning facility," the lawsuit claimed. "Based upon information and belief, the subject geckos likely got into the Heineken canning facility and into a can before the Heineken beer was poured and the top was sealed onto the subject can."

He filed a civil lawsuit last week in Orange County Superior Court against Heineken alleging negligence, negligent infliction of emotional distress, breach of implied warranty and strict products liability, according to court documents.

Heineken said it investigated the man’s claim and believed it to be false, according to Los Angeles Times Wednesday. The company said it holds the safety of its products to the highest standard.

"Heineken USA holds the safety and integrity of the products we import to the highest standards," the company said in a statement Monday. "We are currently investigating this isolated claim and based on a number of factors we confidently believe there is no merit to this claim."

Toubbeh went to the emergency room, where he received medication and instructions to return if his symptoms worsened, according to the lawsuit. He went to an urgent care center two days after the initial incident, complaining of stomach pain, loss of sensation, increased bowel movements and a loss of appetite.

Toubbeh missed weeks of work and accrued massive medical bills because of treatments, the lawsuit said. He sued the supermarket owner, the Kroger Company, and Heineken.

John Montevideo, Toubbeh’s lawyer said the family presented the can with the geckos inside to his law office after the incident. The lawyer had a zoologist and a lab test the lizards, he said, to determine the breed and how decomposed they were.

"We truly believe that he is credible, and we have done the independent investigation to verify what they were and their condition," he told OC Register Tuesday. "We feel confident that this is a viable and a real issue."

According to the lawsuit, lab reports identified the lizards as juvenile leopard geckos. The lizards are not indigenous to the U.S. but are considered pets.