By Jon Johnson
THATCHER – What might have started off as a goof for some people is likely now concerning as Jon Russell Langley, 21, of Pima, was arrested for shoplifting the day he was released from jail for trespassing from Walmart.
On Feb. 2, Thatcher Police arrested Langley and booked him into the Graham County Jail on a charge of shoplifting after he allegedly stole a bottle of “99 Bananas”, a banana-flavored schnapps liquor that is 99 proof, or 49.5 percent alcohol by volume, from Safeway.
Thatcher Police were dispatched to the store at 2125 W. U.S. Highway 70 at about 4:13 p.m. Langley had just been released from jail after being incarcerated Feb. 1 on two counts of criminal trespass after riding his bicycle through Walmart and climbing the outside of its building.
He plead guilty to two counts of criminal trespass in the second degree in Safford Municipal Court on Feb.1 and was released from jail the following day.
Langley was trespassed from Walmart after a run-in with the store in November, 2016. While shopping at the store with his dog, a person questioned the validity of the dog being a service animal and a seemingly intoxicated Langley caused a disruption. He allegedly continued to act in a rash manner when officers attempted to take him into custody and yelled, cursed and banged his head against a wall until he was fitted in a hobble restraint. He was later placed in a restraint chair at the jail with a spit hood.
He later pleaded no contest to a disorderly conduct charge for that incident and was sentenced Nov. 20 and placed on probation.
While en route to Safeway on Thursday, County Dispatch advised officers that the suspect had fled the store and was hiding under a vehicle in the parking lot. Langley was soon found by a Safford officer in front of the Carl’s Jr. restaurant across 20th Avenue and was detained. Upon the arrival of the Thatcher officer, the Safford officer handed over Langley and a bottle of 99 Bananas, which she said Langley was drinking from when she found him. The bottle was valued at $20.71 by the store.
According to the Thatcher officer’s report, Langley expressed his desire to go to prison and said he would commit armed robbery to achieve that goal if necessary. He was then booked into the jail without further incident.
On Monday, a criminal complaint with a charge of consuming liquor in public was filed against Langley in Safford Municipal Court.
