A Schwinn mountain bike that had been locked to a tree was stolen from a convenience store in the Davenport area, while its owner was working in the store.
The store’s security video showed a man forcibly removing the bike and throwing it in the back of a black pickup truck.
The PCSO detective who worked the investigation did some checking around the neighborhood and eventually found a good video that captured the truck passing by and revealed its tag number.
The detective disseminated the information to area law enforcement.
Eight days after the bicycle was stolen, an officer from LAPD (that would be Lake Alfred, not that southern California cop shop) spotted the truck near the Family Dollar store in LA (again, Lake Alfred, not that town where the Lakers play).
The officer conducted a traffic stop and the driver was identified as Ray.
Fun fact about Ray: He really stinks when it comes to traffic laws. He’s listed as a habitual traffic offender, and he was driving on a suspended license. Something he has been busted for ELEVEN times before.
Ray was arrested by the LAPD (not the LA where people are allowed to poop on sidewalks) officer for a felony charge of DWLSR.
Meanwhile, a PCSO detective responded to the traffic stop in regards to the bike theft.
The stolen bicycle was still in the back of Ray’s truck…along with some other bikes.
Despite all of the evidence against him, Ray denied stealing the bicycle.
The bike was returned to its owner, and Ray was returned to the Polk Pokey. We say “returned” because Ray has been to the jail several times before. His criminal history includes such crimes as: battery, disorderly conduct, burglary, robbery, and sexual battery…an array of misdeeds. Another Fun Fact about Ray: He’s been to prison three times.
Ray also has prior theft convictions in 2007 and 2009, so he was charged by the PCSO this time with Felony Petit Theft.
