Hours after he was sentenced for theft in Dakota County, authorities say a man tried to walk out of a St. Paul Sears store with layers of apparel he hadn’t paid for tucked under his clothing.

On his way out of the store, Alphonso Terry Whitelaw dropped a couple of pairs of jeans and a hoodie, catching the attention of a nearby employee trained to spot stealing, according to the criminal complaint filed against him Friday in Ramsey County District Court.

The complaint charges the 32-year-old with one count of first-degree aggravated robbery and a second count of second-degree assault for the Feb. 21 offense, which authorities say took place at Sears at 425 Rice Street

Store staff saw Whitelaw walk into a dressing room with a stack of clothing and walk out with much of the attire seemingly layered under his clothes and other articles stuffed into his clothing, the complaint said.

When the employee stopped him, Whitelaw pulled out a knife and said “Don’t touch me,” before fleeing, the complaint said.

Police later tracked Whitelaw down after the employee found a warrant of commitment for Whitelaw left behind in his dressing room. It indicated the St. Paul man had been been in Dakota County District Court on misdemeanor theft charges earlier that morning and had received a stayed sentence along with the paperwork forgotten in the dressing room, according to the complaint. Related Articles In a first for Minnesota law enforcement, dog being used to detect electronic devices used by criminals

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Staff also found a love letter written by Whitelaw to his wife that promised he would soon “put a ring on her finger,” the complaint said.

Police compared booking photos of Whitelaw from past arrests to footage captured on the store’s surveillance camera to identify him.

His criminal record includes convictions for theft, terroristic threats, possession of a controlled substance, fleeing a police officer, domestic assault and check forgery.

Whitelaw could not be reached for comment. He has not yet retained an attorney.

His first appearance on the latest charges facing him will take place Monday afternoon.