Steven Thorton Etter, 26, of Lusby
Lusby man was arrested three times in as many days at the same Lexington Park gas station, facing repeated charges of theft and trespassing. According to court records filed in the District Court for St. Mary’s County, 26-year-old Steven Thorton Etter was taken into custody on August 30, 2025, and again on September 1, 2025—twice in a single day—all in connection with incidents at the Royal Farms located on Tulagi Place.
The first arrest occurred during the early morning hours of August 30. According to a statement filed by Deputy Jeremy Steeber of the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were dispatched to the Royal Farms store around 5:21 a.m. following a theft report.
Emergency Communications advised that a white male wearing a black hoodie, gray shorts, and red shoes had stolen sodas and was still on the property. Upon arrival, Deputy Steeber located a man matching the description. The man identified himself as Steven Thorton Etter.
When questioned about the theft, Etter initially denied stealing anything but admitted, “I’m homeless and needed to ‘take s##t.’” After speaking with two store employees who witnessed the theft, Deputy Steeber reviewed surveillance footage, which reportedly showed Etter entering the store around 1:00 a.m., taking drinks from the refrigerator section, and walking out without paying.
The items stolen included two Red Bull Summer Edition Curuba drinks valued at $7.98 each, one Red Bull Juneberry LTO at $3.99, one Red Bull Yellow Edition at $3.99, and two Red Bull 12 oz cans at $3.96 each, totaling approximately $31.86. Etter was charged with theft less than $100.00 and was released later that day on an unsecured personal bond.
Deputy Patrick Hudson responded to the call and spoke with the store manager, who confirmed that Etter had been repeatedly entering the store since receiving the notice and was continuing to take items without paying.
The manager stated that a trespass notice had been served by Deputy Stamp, badge #440. Deputy Hudson located Etter, who again admitted to taking coffee without paying for it. When asked about the repeated trespassing, Etter reportedly stated, “I intended to continue returning to the gas station,” and added, “I do not care about the trespass notice or its legal implications.”
While Deputy Hudson remained on the scene in a marked patrol vehicle, Etter allegedly approached the car—again stepping foot onto the property in violation of the active trespass notice. At that point, he was arrested without incident.
The stolen items in this instance included a coffee and a Slurpee-style drink, valued together at $5.25. Etter was charged with trespassing and theft less than $100.00 and was held without bond initially.
Later that same day, a third incident occurred. According to court records, Etter returned yet again to the Royal Farms store, resulting in a third set of charges. This incident, which also took place on September 1, occurred shortly after 7:20 a.m.
According to the charging document, Etter entered or remained on the property of Royal Farms despite being legally prohibited from doing so. The same no-trespass order issued on August 30 remained in effect at the time. Etter was again taken into custody and charged with trespass: private property and theft under $100.00.
Following the third arrest, Etter was brought before a judge for a bail review hearing on September 2, 2025. He was released on his own recognizance. All three incidents occurred at the same location, and each resulted in separate misdemeanor charges.
Across the three cases, Etter is facing a total of three counts of theft less than $100.00 and two counts of trespassing.
Steven Thorton Etter, 26, of Lusby
