Man faces felonies for allegedly stealing earbuds from store

Published 1:30 am Tuesday, February 12, 2019

A Mount Vernon man is being held in jail on $10,000 bail after stealing a $15 pair of earbuds from the Walgreens store in Oak Harbor Feb. 6, according to court documents.

An employee at the business reported to police that a man, later identified as Josue Segeuda-Ortiz, 27, had been told not to return to the store after being caught stealing items earlier that day, according to the police report.

The employee said Segeuda-Ortiz came back, stole earbuds and pushed her out of the way after she confronted him, the report states.

An officer spotted Segeuda-Ortiz as he was Barrington Drive.

Segeuda-Ortiz was holding a pair of earbuds in damaged packaging and had “a liquid cheese type of substance dripping from the corner of his mouth,” the officer wrote.

He swore at the officer after being contacted, according to the officer’s report.

The officer wrote that the incident was the third call involving Segeuda-Ortiz within two hours; he also was a suspect in a disorderly case and another shoplifting complaint.

The officer said he suspected that Segeuda-Ortiz was intoxicated.

A judge in Island County Superior Court Feb. 7 found probable cause that Segeuda-Ortiz had committed the crimes of burglary in the first degree, assault in the third degree and theft in the third degree.

Segeuda-Ortiz’s criminal history included convictions for nine felonies — including theft and assault in the third degree — and 16 gross misdemeanors, according to court documents.