Walmart: not just for the obese-
Lee County's most wanted fugitive arrested trying to steal video games, police say
By EVANGELIA GANOSELLIS •
lganosellis@news-press.com
• September 25, 2009
Lee County's most wanted fugitive is in jail after attempting to steal about $120 worth of Nintendo DS games from a Cape Coral Walmart, police say.
Daniel Larson, 32, of Cape Coral, already had an extensive criminal record, leading to his place on the list. He had two convictions for armed robbery with a deadly weapon in 1999 and 2004, and another 1999 conviction for kidnapping.
On Sept. 5, Larson was arrested on a larceny charge but was released the following day. He told police Wednesday he was released from the jail using fake identification.
Larson was wanted for violating probation on one of the armed robbery charges in 2006.
On Wednesday, Larson tried to leave Walmart at 1619 Del Prado Blvd. with the video games stuffed in his pants and shoes when he was stopped by a loss prevention officer, according to a police report.
Larson shoved the officer and attempted to flee. He was secured on the ground and placed in handcuffs.
During police questioning, Larson said that he intended to sell the games to support his drug habit.
He said he'd been using heroin for about 15 years, according to the report.
Police found a driver's license in Larson's wallet with the name Brian Christopher Seiler, which Larson claimed he found in a store parking lot.
He then told police he had a warrant out for his arrest for using a fake ID to get out of jail over Labor Day weekend.
The Lee County Sheriff's Office is investigating the incident to learn how Larson was released from jail earlier this month.
Sgt. David Velez said that until a given identity is proven false, it's the identity a person keeps.
"If you got arrested tomorrow, you could say 'Wilma Flintstone,' and we'd book you under that name," Velez said.
Velez couldn't offer further information.
Larson now faces charges of of violating pretrial supervision, larceny, resisting a property recovery retail merchant, using a false identification that adversely affects others, forgery of a public record certificate and violating parole.