Shawn Ham
MORAGA – Police officers in the wee hours of August 3 arrested a man on suspicion of stealing a motorcycle, who also faces possible charges for allegedly possessing illicit drugs.
Officers were dispatched at approximately 3:05 a.m. when a local resident called police to report that his motorcycle had just been stolen from the 300 block of Calle La Montana.
The caller told a dispatcher that he heard someone starting his motorcycle before driving it away from the area without his permission.
It turned out to be a very short ride. Police spotted the victim’s motorcycle nearby on Campolindo Drive where a traffic stop was attempted, but the suspect failed to pull over as directed.
Several officers pursued the suspect as he drove south along Moraga Road and turned on to Canyon Road, where the fleeing suspect lost control and the motorcycle fell to the ground near the intersection of County Club Drive.
The man abandoned the motorcycle and then attempted to flee again—this time on foot. He was apprehended a short distance away and taken into custody.
The suspect identified as 28-year-old Shawn Ham, of Antioch, was booked at the Martinez Detention Facility, where bail for his release was set at $140,000.
Ham is charged with vehicle theft, possession of a stolen vehicle, evading a police officer by driving the wrong way, and evading a police officer by disregarding safety.
He also faces possible additional charges for allegedly being in possession of heroin, and driving with a suspended license.
The owner of the motorcycle recovered his bike, right where it the suspected thief left it, and rode it back home, before daybreak.
