TEXARKANA, Texas–A man arrested this month after allegedly trashing items on the shelves at Moderne Primitives in Texarkana allegedly told police he broke in because it was “a good store” while the owner reported she had just ended a dating relationship with the suspect.
Colton Lewellen, 27, allegedly smashed the front window and set off an alarm that brought Texarkana, Texas, police to the business in the 700 block of New Boston Road, according to a probable cause affidavit.
The first officer to arrive heard loud crashing noises coming from inside the store and was waiting for backup when a man walked out of the shop’s back door. The officer ordered the man, later identified as Lewellen, down on the ground before cuffing him and taking him into custody.
As the officer escorted him to his patrol unit, items began falling from Lewellen’s pocket which he had allegedly taken from the store, including legal edibles and rolling papers, the affidavit said. Officers cleared the store with the help of police canine Thor and the owner pointed out that an entire shelf of glass pipes had been smashed.
In addition to the broken window and front door, “the store had been ransacked with display baskets and merchandise thrown everywhere,” the affidavit said.
After being read his rights, Lewellen allegedly told the arresting officer that he had broken in because it was a “good store” but the store’s owner reportedly told the officer she had broken up with Lewellen that day.
The store owner estimated the total damage at around $7,500.
Lewellen has been in custody since his March 10 arrest and his bonds total $45,000. If found guilty of burglary of a building or criminal mischief, Lewellen faces six months to two years in a state jail.
