The San Luis Obispo Police arrested a suspect on Thursday with the use of a bait bike.
According to SLOPD, the city has seen a recent increase of property and theft-related crimes. Many of these crimes involve bicycle thefts that are taking place in the downtown corridor.
On Thursday, SLO detectives conducted a bait-bicycle operation. They placed an unmarked and unlocked bicycle in various locations around the downtown corridor. They watched the bicycle in the hopes of catching a thief trying to steal it.
Officers observed a suspect take an interest in the bicycle and leave the area. However, the suspect returned 45 minutes later.
The suspect, later identified as Craig Lamont Perry, a 47-year-old SLO transient, dismounted his own bicycle and looked around.
Perry then grabbed the bait bicycle. He walked away while pushing both bicycles down the sidewalk. Plain clothes police officers contacted and detained him.
The suspect is well known to the SLOPD; he has numerous prior felony arrests, many for theft-related crimes and is currently on active probation.
Perry was arrested for grand theft and violation of probation. He was transported and booked at the San Luis Obispo County Jail, with bail was set at $35,000.
