A Roby man is charged with swiping Missouri Lottery tickets in a business break-in and then leading law enforcement on a foot chase.
Matthew M. Moda, 37, of 12353 Highway 32 at Roby, is charged with second-degree burglary and stealing $750 or more (both class D felonies), along with resisting or interfering with an arrest for a felony (a class E felony).
The first incident began when a deputy was dispatched at about 6 a.m. April 26 to Walt’s convenience store near Highway 32 and 17 in Roby. According to a probable cause statement, the store owner told the deputy that someone had broken in during the night and swiped a large number of lottery tickets.
Moda was identified by a deputy as the suspect, and during a subsequent search of his residence, the officer found 116 lottery tickets in his bedroom. Also reportedly found was clothing matching the description of what the suspect was seen wearing on store surveillance video.
A list provided by the Missouri Lottery indicated 990 tickets were stolen with a net worth of just under $3,300.
The second incident occurred on May 7 when deputies went to Moda’s residence to arrest him on outstanding warrants and question him about other cases.
After being given permission by a man at the location to enter the house and look for Moda, officers determined he had been in a backyard shed. While a deputy checked inside the building, Moda was seen running through nearby woods in the direction of Walt’s, according to a report.
Officers pursued and Moda eventually gave up when one of them pointed a taser at him.
A probable cause statement said Moda was extremely volatile after being apprehended, cursing, yelling and threatening officers. He said he was an addict, Â needed help and had used meth about an hour earlier.
Moda is held in the Texas County Jail on combined bond of $200,000 ($50,000 on the theft charges and $150,000 on the resisting charge).