(Stillwater, Okla.) A Stillwater man has been given a six-year prison term for possessing a stolen iPhone taken from a customer at Panera Bread – exactly one week after he was placed on probation for taking a credit card out of a woman’s purse at a Stillwater church.
David Bradley Matthews Metz II, 37, avoided a jury trial in October by accepting a plea bargain Friday on the felony stolen iPhone charge for which he could have been given as much as a 10-year prison term due to his criminal record.
Metz, who has been jailed since his arrest eight months ago, pleaded guilty Friday to knowingly concealing stolen property after a former felony conviction and was sentenced to prison by Associate District Judge Stephen Kistler.
Metz was arrested on Dec. 12, 2014, at 8:20 a.m., 20 minutes after Stillwater Police Officer Jared Noles was sent to Panera Bread regarding a larceny that had just occurred, according to his affidavit.
A Stillwater woman “stated she was at breakfast when she left her keys and cell phone on the table as she retrieved more coffee,” the affidavit said.
When she returned to the table, she saw that her iPhone 5 was missing, the affidavit said.
A Stillwater man, who was sitting across from her table, described the suspect as a white man in a yellow sweater with a blue string-type bag on his back, the affidavit said.
He said he saw the man walk by the woman’s table, but he did not see the suspect grab the phone, the affidavit said.
He said that when the woman noticed her phone was missing, the suspect left the area quickly, the affidavit.
“He advised the suspect was currently riding ( a bicycle) through the parking lot and pointed to a a male,” which the officer knew as Metz due to previous contacts, the affidavit said.
“I returned to my police vehicle and pursued Metz through the Hastings parking lot. Metz stopped and began to enter the doors to the Hastings Café.
“Metz made eye contact with me and proceeded through the door faster.
“I saw Metz continue to the right of the door and stick his hands in his pockets as I got to the sidewalk in front of the entrance door.
“I could see Metz through the window bending down by a shelf and make a motion with his hand as if he was trying to push something behind the cabinet.
“I immediately grabbed Metz’ left arm and escorted him outside where I placed him in investigative detention,” the Stillwater officer wrote in his affidavit.
“Metz appeared nervous and visibly shaking. Without me asking Metz, he began stating that the girl said it was her phone and he gave it back,” the officer wrote in his affidavit.
Stillwater Police Officer Chance Whiteley arrived and checked the area where Metz was observed bending down, the affidavit said.
“Officer Whiteley advised the phone was located. I took possession of the cell phone and contacted (the victim) to respond to my location,” where she said it was her phone — which she unlocked using a digital pass code, the officer wrote in his affidavit.
After the phone was returned to the victim, “Metz was arrested for knowingly concealing stolen property. “While Metz was in the rear of my patrol car, he repeatedly stated he was sorry and asked to not go to jail.
“Metz stated ‘she got the phone back – I don’t see what the big deal is,’” the affidavit said.
Exactly one week earlier, Metz had been placed on three years’ probation, which was revoked Friday to a concurrent prison term, for taking a credit card out of a woman’s purse at a Stillwater church, court records show.
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