Burglar spotted riding bike with stolen 59-inch TV, cops say
Steven Long, 23, was arrested on burglary and theft charges.

Jeff Weiner
Orlando Sentinel

7:20 PM EDT, May 31, 2011

A burglary suspect was arrested in South Daytona on Sunday � after he was spotted carrying a 59-inch stolen television on a bicycle, police said.

According to police, a bicycle patrol officer spotted Steven Long, 23, near the intersection of Wells Drive and Magnolia Avenue in South Daytona about 4:20 a.m. Sunday.

The officer said Long, who had the TV wedged between his lap and the handlebars, panicked upon seeing police and fled. He later ditched the bike, and its cargo, and fled on foot, police said.

Long was caught in a back yard on Palm Grove Court, police said. Officers later spoke to residents of a Wells Drive home, who had reported a burglary.

The victims identified the television as theirs, and told police they'd been sleeping when someone pried the side door to their garage open and stole their TV and other items.

Long, who agreed to talk to police, said that he was given the television by an unnamed friend to settle a debt, an arrest report states. He said he ran from officers because he doesn't like police, the report says.

Police said Long's story didn't add up. He was arrested on several charges, including burglary of an occupied dwelling and felony theft, and jailed on $13,000 bail. He remained in custody Tuesday.

The stolen property was returned to the victims, police said, but the television � which the victims said they'd bought for $2,000 less than a week earlier � was broken beyond repair.