WASHINGTON CITY – Two St. George men were arrested Sunday when police allegedly found a stolen bicycle in the back of their truck while responding to a report of a suspicious vehicle.
Officers responded to the report of a suspicious truck on the 100 North block of 200 West in Washington, Officer Laynce Bartruff of the Washington City Police said in a probable cause statement supporting the arrest.
When officers made contact with the two men inside the truck, identified as 27-year-old Timothy Joe Maas and 22-year-old William Frank Owen, the men said they were in the area waiting for a friend, the statement said.
“While talking with both males,” Bartruff said, “I noticed they had a bicycle in the back of the pickup truck. The bike was very new looking. I asked about the bike and both parties stated it was a friend’s bike.”
Maas told officers his friend had put the bike in the back of the truck when he gave her a ride and that she left it in there and had forgotten to take it out, according to the statement.
Maas gave officers permission to look at the serial number of the bike. The serial number information was run through dispatch and the bike came back as stolen.
Maas and Owen were arrested for being in possession of the stolen bike.
Both men were booked into the Washington County Purgatory Correctional Facility.
Maas was charged with one third-degree felony for theft by receiving stolen property. His bail pending trial stands at $1,950.
Owen was charged with one class A misdemeanor for theft by receiving stolen property. His bail was set at $1,500 during his initial court appearance on Monday.
Owen is also currently facing one third-degree felony and two class A misdemeanors for possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia stemming from a Feb. 24 offense and subsequent arrest in St. George.
Since 2006, Maas has accrued a long list of convictions for theft and burglary, according to Utah court documents. He was also convicted of possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia in December 2013.
Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.
Ed. CORRECTION: The incident occurred on 200 West, not 100 West.
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LOL @ the tattoos. Is he trying to become a leopard?
All were missing is the rest of the Madagascar characters they already have the Giraffe lol!
This article should have instructions of how to go out into your garage, find your serial number, and WRITE IT DOWN. These loser drug addicts will steal anything for a bag of weed or a needle full of heroin. Luckily the owner had a copy of his/her serial number and reported it stolen. Otherwise these punks would have skated off to the pawn shop and scored again.
It’s really amazing how tough talking you are when you’re hiding behind your keyboard and behind locked doors and not having to show your name.. You’re just another punk.
When was the last you went to a hock shop.? you know absolutely nothing about anything
A bicycle was stolen. Police are on the lookout for a giraffe.
100 north block of 200 west, not 100 west.