Gilbertsville Man Faces New Charges After Lyon County Theft

A Gilbertsville man accused of stealing a mobility scooter from a Princeton store last week now faces more charges after authorities say he was found with stolen goods in Lyon County.

According to information released by the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office on Sunday, a deputy was sent to a suspicious person complaint at a Kuttawa business around 4:30 p.m. last Wednesday.

Authorities say the investigation revealed 63-year-old James Patten had stolen over $582 worth of merchandise from the store and had many of the items at the time a deputy made contact with him.

Patten was taken into custody and charged with theft by unlawful taking over $500 but less than $1,000.

He was lodged in the Crittenden County Detention Center.

The Lyon County Sheriff’s Office also reports that last Thursday night, a deputy served Patten with a Hopkins District Court bench warrant charging him with failure to appear in court on a traffic-related offense.

Patten was arrested by Princeton Police last Tuesday night after receiving reports of a shoplifting suspect leaving Walmart on one of its mobility shopping scooters.

Police said officers found Patten operating the scooter on the shoulder of the US 62 West about a quarter-mile away from the store. They said Patten was wearing clothes with the store tags attached when he was taken into custody and charged with shoplifting and theft of the scooter.