BILLINGS -- A Billings man accused of stealing the same car twice has been charged with two counts of felony theft.

Kyle Arnold Odom, 24, appeared in District Court by video from the county jail Wednesday. Judge Larry Herman set bond at $25,000, and Odom was ordered to appear at 9:30 a.m. today before Judge Ingrid Gustafson for arraignment.

Prosecutors said Odom stole the same green 2003 Mitsubishi Outlander twice, eluded police once and attempted to elude them a second time.

According to court documents, Odom first stole the SUV from a private garage on July 11. Two days later the owner of the vehicle called police saying he was following his stolen vehicle near Sixth Avenue South and South 28th Street.

Officers responded and found the vehicle stopped and unoccupied in a nearby alley. According to the affidavit, officers began patrolling the area, stopping to ask a man standing in the yard of a house if he'd seen anyone run through the alley. The man, who officers later learned was Odom, said, ''That way,'' and pointed south.

Odom was not located during that investigation, police reported.

The vehicle was returned to its owner, and again stolen on July 16.

On July 22, a vehicle with stolen plates was reported stuck in a ditch. A deputy responded to the call and learned the vehicle had been taken to the Rockvale gas station, where he located the vehicle with Odom standing next to it, court documents said.

When the deputy went to run a driver's license check, Odom attempted to drive the SUV up a nearby ditch embankment, according to court documents. When he failed, he backed the vehicle up and tried to drive behind a nearby business, but was blocked by the deputy.

The affidavit said Odom then backed the vehicle up, getting it stuck on a pile of rocks. He abandoned the vehicle and fled on foot.

Odom was found shortly after with the assistance of a K-9 dog, swimming in the ditch, with only part of his face out of water, officers reported.