An attempt to get free food at a hospital cafeteria ended badly for a Turlock man, who ended his meal in handcuffs.

Around 11 a.m. Tuesday Turlock Police officers were dispatched to Emanuel Medical Center on Delbon Avenue for the report of a man threatening others with a butter knife.

According to the police report, Andrew Berg, 46, selected some items from the hospital cafeteria, but bypassed paying for them.

As Berg sat down to eat, hospital security approached him and questioned why he had not paid for the food.

Berg’s response was to grab a butter knife and threaten to harm the security guard.

The two responding police officers were able to take Berg into custody without any further incident.

Berg was booked into Stanislaus County Jail on charges of robbery and assault and battery. He remains in custody in a $100,000 bail.

At his arraignment Thursday the original charges were dropped and replaced with misdemeanor charges of exhibiting a deadly weapon other than a firearm and battery.