MOULTRIE, Ga. — It’s been said that curiosity caused the cat’s demise. For two shoplifting suspects, greed would seem to be the cause of their being jailed after they returned to a Moultrie retail store after hitting it three days earlier.

Two Thomasville men were arrested Friday at a Moultrie sports complex after officers chased them down. Moultrie police say they later were recognized by Wal-Mart employees as the two who had walked out with some $1,000 worth of merchandise on April 24.

Wal-Mart security personnel spotted them in the store again on Friday, and police arrived before they made it back to their car.

Police were dispatched at about 5:05 p.m. Friday.

“That’s when the Moultrie Police Department got called out to Wal-Mart in reference to shoplifters still being at the scene at Wal-Mart,” said police Sgt. Vernon Nobles. “An employee pointed out a vehicle in the parking lot that he had seen the two males walk up to. The two males ran upon seeing officers on scene.”

Officers followed and finally rounded up the pair near a batting cage at the nearby Magnolia Sports Complex, police said.

Nobles said the two had stolen televisions and other merchandise on Friday, but had not yet loaded them in a car before police arrived. A woman who was behind the wheel of the Nissan Sentra also was arrested.

Police charged Drecexter Eugene Robinson, 22, who gave a former address of 127 D. St., Lake Wells, Fla., and Ricardo Sanchez Williams, who gave his address as 203 Oak St., Camilla, were charged with two counts each of felony theft by shoplifting.

During further investigation police determined that both live in Thomasville, Nobles said.

Williams also was charged with giving a false name and date of birth to police, Nobles said. Robinson was not charged because he previously had lived in Lake Wells.

During the April 24 theft television sets, computers and other merchandise, with a total value of $1,045, was stolen, police said. Wal-Mart employees identified them as suspects in the Friday theft, and police also have photographs taken in the store on April 24.

Michelle Lee Thurman, 26, 1508 Wright St., Thomasville, who was the driver of the car, was charged with one count of being a party to the crime of theft by shoplifting.

“More charges are pending,” Nobles said. “The officers did an excellent job of staying focused and keeping their eyes on them and apprehending them.”