24-year-old man facing robbery charge

A judge Thursday ordered a 24-year-old man to stand trial on a robbery charge in connection with a shoplifting incident at the Home Depot in Joplin.

Associate Judge Joseph Hensley decided at the conclusion of a preliminary hearing in Jasper County Circuit Court that Nathanial G. Seward should stand trial on a charge of first-degree robbery and set his initial appearance in a trial division for Feb. 21.

A loss prevention employee of Home Depot testified at the hearing that he and other employees began watching Seward when the defendant entered the store on East 20th Street carrying a backpack and headed for a section of the business with some high-ticket merchandise.

Seward stuffed some merchandise in the backpack, passed the point of sale without paying and headed out of the store, and he ran after him, the witness said. Seward slipped trying to get out the door and had a knife in his hand when he got back up and faced off with him, the witness said.

It was the latter action that prompted the calling of police and ultimately the filing of the robbery charge.