photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

A Lawrence Police Department patrol vehicle is pictured June 28, 2022.

A Lawrence grocery store employee who was arrested earlier this month on suspicion of stealing thousands of dollars from his employer has now been charged with felony theft.

Ethan Cade Waters, 21, is accused in a criminal complaint filed Wednesday of stealing $25,000 from the Dillons store at 3000 W. Sixth St.

As the Journal-World reported, Waters was taken into custody after the store asset manager informed police about an internal investigation at the store into one of its employees.

“The asset manager presented the officer with the evidence they gathered, and the officer placed the employee under arrest,” according to Lawrence police spokeswoman Laura McCabe.

“We have reason to believe the employee had been stealing large sums of money from the store since the beginning of the year,” McCabe added.

Waters was released from the Douglas County Jail after posting a $2,500 bond. He is scheduled to appear in court on June 5.