photo by: Kansas Department of Corrections

Geoffry Scott Beers

A Lawrence man with an extensive criminal history allegedly walked out of Lawrence’s Best Buy store Saturday with over $4,000 in stolen merchandise.

Police were to the the store, 2020 W. 31st St., around 6:30 p.m. about a suspected shoplifting in progress. An officer was led back to the security camera area and viewed the activity live, LPD spokeswoman Laura McCabe said Monday. The man left the store with approximately $4,100 worth of items; police did not share what those items were.

An officer outside the store approached the man, who quickly dropped the bags and tried to take off, McCabe said, but he didn’t get more than a few steps away before officers safely took him into custody.

The Douglas County Jail booking log indicates that Geoffry Scott Beers, 49, was arrested Saturday at the store.

Beers has a criminal history dating to the late 1990s, including robbery and drug convictions in Douglas County and an escape from custody conviction in Sedgwick County. He also has multiple convictions related to shoplifting.

At the time of his arrest Saturday, Beers was out on a bond totaling $17,000 in connection with three other cases. In October he was charged with felony theft for allegedly have stolen more than $1,500 in merchandise from Bomgaars, 1541 E. 23rd St. He was released on a $10,000 cash or surety bond in that case.

Beers is charged with two misdemeanor counts of domestic battery and one misdemeanor count of criminal damage in connection with an incident in September.

He was charged with two felony counts of vehicle burglary, two misdemeanor counts of criminal damage and one misdemeanor count of theft in connection with an incident in July.

After his arrest Saturday, he was released after posting a $2,000 surety bond.

— Chris Conde contributed to this report.