Rochester, MN (KROC AM News) - A Rochester man was arrested twice on theft charges within 12 hours.

The first incident happened around 1:30 PM Monday.

Police were told a man had just taken a purse from a car that was parked at the Centerstone Plaza hotel. The man was spotted walking into the nearby Christ United Methodist Church and an officer found him in a room. The purse was recovered and the man - 40-year-old Justin Keltner - was arrested. He was booked and later released.

Police were called around 9:30 PM Monday about a theft at the Fresh Thyme grocery store.

A female employee reported a man had just stolen her phone and wallet. An officer checked the store’s surveillance system and identified the thief as Keltner, who had fled on foot.

Around 2:30 AM Tuesday, a patrol officer who was walking through the south Walmart store spotted Keltner. The stolen phone was found in his backpack. He also had $2900 in cash and police aren’t sure where that came from.

A spokesman says investigators are checking to see if he has been involved in any other criminal activity in recent days.

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