Olympia teen accused of stealing bike, leaving another in its place

A 19-year-old man was arrested Wednesday, accused of stealing a bike from a woman’s home and replacing it with a different one, according to the Olympia Police Department.

Officers also found what appeared to be methamphetamine in a tin in the man’s pocket, and he was booked into the Thurston County Jail on suspicion of possession of stolen property and unlawful possession of a controlled substance.

On Wednesday morning, a woman reported that her bicycle had been stolen from her home in the 1200 block of Thurston Avenue, police said. She had parked the bike in her back yard the night before, but in the morning she noticed that it had been replaced by another bike.

The woman was able to provide officers with photos of her bike and its serial number.

That afternoon, officers encountered a man riding a bike that matched the description of the stolen one. When approached, the rider said he had bought the bike that morning. The bike’s serial number matched that of the stolen bicycle, police said.

This story was originally published October 9, 2015 at 7:31 AM with the headline "Olympia teen accused of stealing bike, leaving another in its place."