Officers with the Casper Police Department have arrested a man suspected of committing grand larceny in connection with the theft of computers from the east-side Wal-Mart earlier this month.

Police were aided by the Wal-Mart Loss Prevention Office, which provided video recordings of the man both inside and outside the store.

According to a police affidavit, James Earl Comstock, 41, filled a shopping cart inside the store with various items, including four computers and a monitor valued at $3,654.63, and then pushed the cart into the garden center.

Comstock then left the store and went outside to the garden center, where he unloaded the shopping cart through a hole in the garden center's nylon wall. He then put the items into several backpacks and into a Chevy Blazer in the parking lot, according to the report.

Police found the Blazer at an apartment complex and watched as Comstock entered the vehicle, put a backpack on, grabbed a duffel bag and rode away on a bicycle. Police arrested him as he attempted to flee on the bicycle, which he later admitted was stolen.

Comstock then admitted to stealing numerous items from Wal-Mart and told officers the items were in the Blazer. According to the affidavit, he also told officers there was less than a gram of methamphetamine in the Blazer.

At the time of his arrest Sept. 8, Comstock was on parole from the Wyoming Department of Corrections for charges of burglary.

Sgt. Brad Wnuk said the computers had tracking software that would have led police to them as soon as they were turned on, but Comstock was caught before they were activated.

Comstock faces three counts of grand larceny and one count of possession of stolen property.

Reporter John Morgan can be reached at (307) 266-0614 or john.morgan@casperstartribune.net.