Rochester, MN (KROC AM News) - A man who was released from the Olmsted County jail Tuesday was back behind bars a few hours later after using stolen credit cards to go on a shopping spree.

Police Capt. John Sherwin says 31-year-old Liban Barre was brought to the jail Monday on a warrant. Sherwin says Barre was released around 3 p.m. Tuesday and walked to the nearby Limb Lab business where he stole a woman’s purse from a rear room.

Sherwin says Barre took a cab to Apache Mall and told the driver he was going to do some shopping and then would need a ride to the Twin Cities. The driver became suspicious because of the female name on the credit card Barre gave him to pre-pay the fare. While Barre was shopping at several stores inside the mall, the cabbie contacted police. The victim also called after discovering her purse was missing.

Sherwin says officers went to the mall and arrested Barre, who had used two credit cards to buy merchandise totaling nearly $4,000.  Barre - a former Rochester man who now has a Brooklyn Park address - is facing a felony theft charge.

 

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