DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) – A man accused of stealing from a Decatur Walmart four times this year is behind bars.
Sworn statements from police say 49-year-old Tony Tyus stole from the same store, located at 4625 E. Maryland St., between July and October. Officers arrested him two days after what they say was the fourth theft attempt.
Police say he went into the store on the morning of July 22 with a cart and took several things, include a Fisher Price Power Wheels “Dune Extreme” toy. That item alone carried a $199 cost. They say he left the store without paying for any of the stolen things.
The statement says a Walmart worker caught Tyus in the parking lot after a theft on Oct. 23. It says he put more than one vacuum, an air fryer, soda, coffee and six bottles of alcoholic drinks – worth over $493 in total - in the cart and left the store.
After 3 a.m. on Sept. 4, police say Tyus and 31-year-old Marcus James went into the store one after the other and walked out with things they didn’t pay for. Officers say one of them took a dehumidifier and air mattress, while the other left with 21 packages of meat in a cart. They’re accused of leaving the store in the same black SUV.
In the last theft attempt sworn statements mention, police say Tyus went into the store just after 2:30 a.m. on Oct. 13 and headed for the fresh meat cooler and frozen food aisle. Officers say they saw on security video that his clothing seemed bulkier after he left the store. Walmart leaders then discovered $226.64 of meat missing.
In total, the items listed in statements as stolen had a value of over $1,500.
Tyus is facing burglary and retail theft charges. He is behind bars in the Macon County Jail. Investigators says they’re still looking for James on Tuesday.
Tyus has three past convictions on his record, including two for theft and one for burglary.
