Chinese food craving lands burglar in jail

CEDAR RAPIDS - A yen for Chinese food helped Cedar Rapids police wrap up a burglary investigation the same day it started.

Sara Payne called police at 7:00 a.m. Tuesday to report her car had been broken into while parked in her garage at 189 22nd Ave. SW. Payne told officers her purse was taken from the car.

Payne returned home that afternoon to find her house had been burglarized too, and TVs, a laptop computer, and other electronic devices were stolen.

A few minutes before 9:00 p.m., officers were called to the Hy-Vee Foods store at 20 Wilson Ave. SW, where workers had detained a man for shoplifting $8.00 worth of Chinese food, according to Sgt. Cristy Hamblin.

During the shoplifting investigation, officers discovered the suspect, Joshua J. Schneider, was carrying Payne's credit cards and checkbook. One of the credit cards had been used earlier that day.

That led police to Schneider's home at 194 22nd Ave. SW - two doors down from Payne's. There they found Payne's missing belongings, some burglar's tools, and some Hydrocodone tablets for which Schneider didn't have a prescription.

Schneider, 35, was taken to the Linn County Jail. He was released Wednesday morning after an initial court appearance on charges of third-degree burglary, possession of burglary tools, false use of a credit card, and unlawful possession of prescription drugs.