By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor

A Christmas Eve misdemeanor theft arrest by the Alabaster Police Department led to indecency with a child charges and an extradition of a Pelham resident.

Alabaster Police responded to Walmart in the Colonial Promenade shopping center on Dec. 24 after store officials called to report a theft at the store. When officers arrived, they arrested 35-year-old Pelham resident Mario Roberto Eulogio on one count of third-degree theft of property, a misdemeanor charge.

“He was buying something at Walmart, and I believe he stole a pack of batteries,” said Alabaster Police Department Deputy Chief Curtis Rigney. “They arrested him and ran his name through the computer, and it turned out he was on the run from Texas.”

When officers ran Eulogio’s name through the national crime database, they discovered the man was wanted by Harris County, Texas, on two indecency with a child charges related to a case under investigation by the Houston Police Department.

The indecency with a child charges came after an 8-year-old Texas girl told police the suspect had touched her inappropriately at least four times between July 27, 2006 and Aug. 27 of the same year, according to Harris County Assistant District Attorney Donna Hawkins.

“The victim made allegations that the defendant touched her inappropriately on at least four occasions,” Hawkins said.

After Alabaster Police contacted Harris County, the Texas law enforcement agency made arrangements to pick up Eulogio from the Alabaster City Jail and extradite him to Texas, Rigney said.

“Harris County is coming to get him, and we are just holding him here until they do that,” Rigney said. “We were fortunate that we were able to put hands on him and bring him into custody.”