Man accused of theft ordered to stay out of Plaza stores

The upside for Eddie L. Wells is that Christmas is done and there’s probably nothing he really needs on the Country Club Plaza.

A Jackson County judge on Friday ordered him to stay out of Plaza stores as a condition of his bond on 10 theft charges that allege he stole plenty from Plaza stores from Oct. 31 through Jan. 19.

Over that period, Wells purportedly stole from both the Coach store at 336 W. 47th St. and Michael Kors at 4747 Broadway.

Police alleged that he seemed to favor high-end backpacks, handbags, totes and satchels, and never left the businesses without at least $400 in loot.

Police picked him up for questioning on Nov. 13, but Wells told a detective he was not their man.

“Wells denied that he was the one who committed the stealings,” a detective reported in court records. “Wells insinuated that he had committed stealings since being released from prison, but denied it was him on Coach’s surveillance.”

Wells has two prior felony theft convictions, court records showed.

After speaking with Wells, police identified him as a suspect in three new thefts from Coach and four from Michael Kors.

Witnesses from both stores picked Wells out of photo lineups, identifying him as the person who snatched the goods and left without paying.

On Friday, Judge Jalilah Otto set Wells’ bond at $30,000 but limited his shopping options.

“Do not enter any store at the Country Club Plaza,” the order read.

This story was originally published January 31, 2015 at 7:35 PM with the headline "Man accused of theft ordered to stay out of Plaza stores."