A Libby man’s search for food led him to the Lincoln County Detention Center following a recent incident at a Mineral Avenue business.

Aiden W. James served several days in jail and must pay $1,600 in restitution after he pleaded guilty Feb. 12 to three misdemeanors in Lincoln County Justice Court.

James entered pleas to criminal mischief, criminal trespass and theft. He received three, six-month sentences for each offense. One hundred seventy days of each were suspended.

According to a probable cause statement by Libby police officer Vince Smart, James turned himself into authorities on Feb. 10 a few hours after Smart answered a call about vandalism at a local laundromat.

Smart spoke to the owner of the business who saw a man on security cameras inserting an object into the key slots of four dryers and two coin dispensing machines.

James later told Smart he broke his knife while trying to break open the machines. The business owner said the damage prevented quarters from being retrieved from the dryers and cash to be retrieved from the coin dispensers. The owner also said the man removed items from a machine and take one article. It also appeared James never attempted to do laundry.

After Smart photographed the damage to the machines and saved a copy of the video, James called him and said he wanted to turn himself in for trying to steal money from the laundromat.

When the two met at the sheriff’s office, James produced a Michigan photo ID and Smart positively identified James as the man in the security camera footage.

Smart questioned James why he went to the laundromat. James said, “I was desperate for something to eat.”