An Elizabethton man entered a guilty plea on Monday to charges he stole money from a woman at a local grocery store.

According to court documents, on Thursday night officers of the Elizabethton Police Department responded to Food City after a woman called 911 and reported a man had just stolen money from her. The woman provided 911 dispatchers with a description of the suspect. Officers responded to the call and searched the immediate area around the store but did not locate the suspect at that time.

EPD Cpl. James Sexton arrived at Food City and spoke with the woman who had called 911.

“(She) said she was inside the vestibule area with her son when the theft occurred. (She) said she was getting money out so her son could play one of the amusement games located in the front entry-way,” Sexton said. “(She) said she was sorting through the money and had approximately $90 [comprised of 20 dollar bills, five dollar bills and one dollar bills] in her hand when the suspect ran up from behind and grabbed the money.”

The woman said the man ran out of the exit door on the west side of the building and ran westbound toward Northeast Street.

“There was no force used, the suspect did not make any statement, and there was no injury to (the woman),” Sexton said.

According to Sexton, the theft was captured on the store’s security cameras and officers were able to view the video recording of the theft.

“I observed as a Caucasian male suspect entered the store, took notice of (the woman), then went towards her and committed the theft,” Sexton said. “The suspect matched the description very well. Officers recognized the suspect as Andrew John Colbaugh.”

Sexton obtained a warrant charging Colbaugh with theft under $1,000.

EPD officers located Colbaugh on Saturday around 11:30 a.m. and placed him under arrest on the warrant taken out by Sexton.

Colbaugh appeared in Carter County General Sessions Court on Monday, where he entered a guilty plea to the charge of theft under $1,000. Judge Keith Bowers Jr. ordered Colbaugh to pay $90 restitution to the victim as well as a $50 fine and court costs. Bowers sentenced Colbaugh to serve 11 months 29 days on probation and ordered him to have no contact with Food City.