Hunter
07/24/24
A Cedar Rapids man was arrested after he was identified as the suspect in an attempted theft of electronics at the Coralville Walmart.
The incident reportedly occurred at around 5:15pm June 9th. 25-year-old Austin Zeien of 17th Street SW was in the store and seen forging a fake receipt on his phone to steal electronics. According to the criminal complaint, Zeien paid for 76 cents worth of Kool-Aid before heading to the exit with about $798 in electronics he hadn’t paid for.
Once at the exit, store employees confronted him about the fake receipt; he then fled the store.
Zeien was identified because he used his Walmart+ membership to pay for the Kool-Aid. Surveillance footage also showed Zeien’s tattoos, which were noted in previous booking photos.
He was arrested Monday and charged with 3rd degree Theft, an aggravated misdemeanor. Zeien was released on his own recognizance pending future court dates.