Charges Dismissed Against Man Accused of Theft

Editor's Note: The charges mentioned in this article were all dismissed on June 21, 2011.

After losing his job at Community Welfare Services in Oakdale, a 29-year-old man allegedly stormed into the establishment, pushed and threatened his former manager and then stole checks and a laptop last July.

William Garcia Stone, listed in court documents as having no permanent address, made his first appearance in court last week on charges of first-degree aggravated robbery and terroristic threats in connection with the alleged incident.

According to the Washington County District Court Complaint, Stone’s supervisor at Community Welfare Services, located at 680 Hale Avenue, told police he had suspended Stone, who was on work release, from the job the day before.

On the following day, the date of the incident, the supervisor learned from Stone’s probation officer that he had not returned to jail as he was supposed to, and that a warrant had been issued for his arrest, the complaint says.

Later that day, the man told police, Stone showed up to get his paycheck, according to the court complaint.

The man tried for 20 minutes to convince Stone to turn himself in, but Stone was drunk and threatened to kill the man if he didn’t give him more money, the complaint says.

Stone then punched him twice in the chest, and then as the man walked away from the scene into the parking lot, Stone pushed him to the ground, the complaint says. Stone demanded the man’s wallet, according to the complaint, but then left when the man started calling the police.

Five employee paychecks and a Dell laptop computer were missing after Stone left, the complaint says.

The man, along with police, tried to call Stone’s girlfriend, who had driven Stone to and from the scene, according to the complaint.

No one answered, but then Stone called back as police listened in on the call, the complaint says.

The man asked for his laptop back and Stone responded, “You want the laptop back, give me my thousand dollars, (expletive),” the complaint says. “Where’s my check … where’s my money?”

An Oakdale police investigator then identified himself on the phone call, and Stone said, “I’m not William,” and, “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” the complaint says.

Police interviewed Stone’s girlfriend, who said she had driven him to the site. She said he thought his paycheck was less than what he was owed, the complaint says. She said he was carrying something when he returned to her car, but she didn’t know what it was, the complaint says.

The Community Welfare Services supervisor said he found the stolen paychecks in the parking lot outside of the building. An Oakdale police investigator had set up a meeting with Stone to retrieve the laptop, but Stone didn’t show up, the complaint says.

Stone never turned himself in, so an arrest warrant was issued Sept. 13, 2010, and served Feb. 23, according to case records. Stone’s bail was set at $30,000, according to the record.

Stone faces charges of first-degree aggravated robbery, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and $35,000 in fines, and terroristic threats, which has a maximum sentence of five years in prison and $10,000 in fines.

His next court appearance is scheduled on March 3.