Warrant issued for man accused of stealing an iPad

A warrant was issued earlier today for the arrest of a man accused of stealing an iPad out of the manager’s office of a convenience store in Linton.

Eric Michael Smith, 29, Indianapolis, was in the Chuckles store in Linton on March 15, the same day the store manager contacted the Linton Police Department at 3:13 p.m. to report that an unknown man had stolen a black iPad from the store.

LPD Officer JR Blazier was dispatched and talked to the manager who was able to provide a video of the incident. Officer Blazier reported that in the video, the man heads to the restroom next to the manager's office but when he walked past the manager's open office door, he saw an Apple iPad sitting on the manager's desk. The man then looked around to see if anyone was watching him, grabbed the iPad, stuck it in his pants and then walked out of the store.

It was also determined from the video that the man came to the store with another man that was able to be identified and that they arrived in a white passenger vehicle.

When Officer Blazier talked to the second man at his home, he identified the first man as Eric Smith and said he was taking Smith to Indianapolis. He said he worked at the rehab center and didn't know any more information about Smith.

Officer Blazier then talked to the executive director of the Hickory Rehab Center and was able to get Smith's full name and date of birth.

According to Officer Blazier, Smith's criminal history shows that he has a prior conviction for theft in Marion County.

Smith is facing a criminal charge of theft - with a prior conviction for either theft or conversion, a Level 6 felony.