INDIANA COMPUTER THIEF CAUGHT Wal-Mart theft foiled | The Star Press - www.thestarpress.com - Muncie, IN:

MUNCIE -- Police said a Muncie man with a criminal record made one too many stops at the south Wal-Mart this week.

Richard B. Howell, 31, 4000 N. Broadway, was arrested by city police Wednesday on four preliminary counts of theft after he allegedly stole laptop computers from the superstore along East 29th Street.

Wal-Mart employees observed Howell on surveillance video taking the laptops out of a security cage and moving them to a different section of the store on Tuesday, authorities said. Howell then returned to the store on Wednesday and was caught on video reaching through the cage in an effort to steal more laptops. After police were called, Howell fled on foot to a nearby trailer park where he was caught.

"He did not get anything today," said police Detective Brad Wiemer.

According to court records, Howell has been jailed 10 times during the last decade and was last convicted of theft in 2004. He remained in the Delaware County jail late Wednesday.

Wiemer said there had been many other incidents where thieves grab merchandise and leave without paying.