KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The District Attorney's Office said Friday a man was convicted of burglary and now faces up to 12 years in prison because he has seven prior felonies.
They said Elliot Arnaz Price, 44, was found guilty after a two-day trial. During the trial, prosecutors said that in June 2022 he was caught on security footage taking a shirt off the rack and putting it down his pants at West Town Mall.
They said he was confronted by a deputy with the Knox County Sheriff's Office. According to records, he was barred from entering the mall after a previous incident.
They also said that hours before he was confronted, Price was in General Sessions Court where he pled guilty to a misdemeanor theft charge from Belk. That incident happened in Dec. 2021 and prosecutors said he was caught cutting sensors off merchandise.
They said that because Price is considered a career offender, he faces a sentence of 12 years in prison and will need to serve 60% of his sentence before he will be eligible for parole.
They said he has seven prior convictions out of Greene County and North Carolina for second-degree kidnapping, escape, breaking and entering, and drug trafficking.