Two arrested after alleged electronics theft at Cape Wal-Mart

Two men were arrested and charged Wednesday with felony stealing and one with possession of crack cocaine after allegedly stealing a computer and television from the Cape Girardeau Wal-Mart.

William R. Austin, 30, of 216 E. Francis, Howardville, Mo., was charged with possession of a controlled substance and felony stealing. Edwin W. Minner, 35, of 315 Riley, New Madrid, Mo., was charged with felony stealing. Both men remain in custody on $5,000 bond each.

At the police station, Austin allegedly tried to get rid of some crack he had before being searched and put into the jail, but his effort was spotted by one of the officers.

"He was sitting alone in an interrogation room, and when he got up the officer saw he dropped a tissue containing the drug under the bench," patrolman Jason Selzer said.

Police say the men went into Wal-Mart, bought a Hewlett-Packard computer and a television with a DVD and VCR combination player and exited the building.

Shortly afterward, they came back inside the store with their receipt, picked up the same electronic items and tried to leave without paying for them, showing a door greeter their receipt as they left, Selzer said.

The store's loss-prevention associates detained the men and called police.