No one has mentioned this: Maybe he "only" stole say, $25.00 worth of food. Did he damage the building/door $500.00 worth when he broke in? I suspect that's where the expensive felony charge comes in. He is charged according to the law of the state he is in when he committed the crime - if it's over a certain dollar amount, it's a felony, not a misdemeanor. The DA's office can't just arbitrarily make the charge - it is based on what the law says they have to charge.
I used to work for a judge and he always said "They put themselves in jail; I just tell them how long they have to stay."