Man who stole food said he had not eaten in days

Officers with the Lawrenceburg Police Department responded to Shoney’s, 2124 North Locust Avenue, just after 9:00 p.m. Wednesday. Restaurant personnel reported that a man dressed in a black shirt and pants, wearing no shoes, had come in, received food, then left without paying for it. Employees followed the man outside and confronted him. They said that he got into a red truck and fled, driving across the grass into the adjacent parking lot.

A restaurant patron who had witnessed the event was able to follow the man and obtain a license plate number. An officer was able to catch up with the driver and attempted to initiate a traffic stop. He reports that the man refused to yield to lights and sirens. He followed the man along East Gaines Street to the city limits, then notified authorities in Giles County to be on the lookout for the truck.

Shortly afterwards officers were notified that the suspect had been stopped and detained by Giles County law enforcement officers. The suspect, identified as sixty-three year old Ronald Dale Battles of 199 J.C. Davis Lane, Waynesboro, was transported back to the county line and into the custody of Lawrenceburg police officers. He reportedly told them that he had committed the crime because he had not eaten in days and knew that he would not have the money to pay for his meal. The cost of the meal was $11.61.

Battles was transported to the Lawrence County Detention Center where he was booked under charges that include speeding, theft of property and evading arrest. He was incarcerated under a bond of $3,000. An initial appearance in General Sessions Court has been scheduled for November 3, 2016.