Hunter
09/23/23
An area transient was arrested after allegedly stealing a bicycle from the UI campus Wednesday morning.
Officers were dispatched outside Schaeffer Hall at 8:30 on a report of a stolen bike. The victim assisted officers in tracking his bike to Discount Used and New Tires on Highway 1. The stolen bike was found in a back room.
The alleged thief, identified as 46-year-old Joseph Barnes, is reportedly an employee at the store. He was located hiding in some tires after fellow employees pointed him out to police.
Upon contact, Barnes stated that he took the bike from campus and rode it to work. He admitted that he had no permission to take the bicycle, which the owner valued at approximately $1000.
Barnes was arrested and charged with 3rd degree theft, an aggravated misdemeanor punishable by a jail term of up to two years if convicted.