Alleged shoplifter leaves wallet at Wal-Mart, returns to claim it

Ronnie Strowbridge has been in trouble for years.

He has been to prison a couple of times — once for forgery and, in the 1990s, he served a year or so for habitual drunken driving.

After that came arrests for stealing, trespassing and probation infractions.

The other day, he is said to have gone into the Wal-Mart in east Macon.

He wasn’t supposed to be there.

A store security man who recognized him later told police that Strowbridge had been banned for shoplifting.

Strowbridge, who is short and skinny and 52 years old, has in the past lived in Louisville and other east Georgia towns.

In recent years he has been in Macon. His most recent address, according to authorities, is the Salvation Army on Broadway.

About 6 p.m. Monday when Strowbridge walked into the Gray Highway Wal-Mart, authorities say he pushed a shopping buggy around the store.

He was there several minutes and is thought to have slipped out without paying for three watches. Two of them cost $38 each, one was $36.

One of Strowbridge’s sisters lives in Wadley, a small town about 70 miles due east of Macon.

Reached by phone Thursday and told that her brother was wanted for stealing from Wal-Mart, Ophelia Carswell said, “Again?”

Carswell, 55, believes her brother is on drugs. She said he tries to hide it from kin. Sometimes he begs them for money. She said he has been in and out of jail most of his life.

“Maybe the best thing he can do is go to prison,” she said.

Carswell said her brother was once locked up for shoplifting a pack of ham and some potato chips.

She said that on Monday afternoon about 4:30, Strowbridge sent her a text message:

“Ophelia, I really need you to help me ... and sending me $25 to get these boots out of the Wal-Mart where I can start this job. ... Thank you and bless.”

Carswell texted back that she didn’t have any money to give him, that what money she had went to put her grandkids in day care.

He asked her to text him her daughter’s number, that maybe she would help.

Nothing doing, Carswell replied.

About 90 minutes later, on Monday evening, Strowbridge went into the Wal-Mart and allegedly stole those watches.

The sheriff’s report doesn’t mention any boots.

The report does go on to say that Strowbridge left something important behind in the shopping cart he’d used: his black wallet.

Inside the wallet were Strowbridge’s Wells Fargo debit card, his Social Security card, his food-stamp card and a picture ID.

There was, the deputy’s report noted, no cash.

The deputy then went on his way.

Minutes later dispatchers radioed and sent him back to the store.

Strowbridge had returned.

According to the deputy, Strowbridge had marched over to the customer service desk and asked if they had his wallet.

The Wal-Mart security man said he went over to speak to Strowbridge. When he did, Strowbridge took off.

He ran into some nearby woods and disappeared, but without his wallet.

The police have it — along with a warrant for his arrest.

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This story was originally published June 16, 2016 at 7:39 PM with the headline "Alleged shoplifter leaves wallet at Wal-Mart, returns to claim it."