A local man is facing theft and drug charges after allegedly stealing a “bait bike” Friday.

Carl Schwarz is charged with possession of a dangerous drug, possession of drug paraphernalia and theft, police said.

Around 8 p.m., Maricopa police placed a “bait bicycle” fitted with a GPS tracker at the Circle K gas station on John Wayne Parkway, near Copper Sky Recreation Center. A few hours later, officers received a notification that the bike had moved from its location. Officers followed the tracker to the corner of Greythorn Drive and Cypress Lane a few blocks away in Desert Cedars, where Carl Schwarz was seen riding the bicycle. Schwarz was recognized from previous contacts, police said.

Officers stopped Schwarz and asked him about the bike. He told police he had purchased the bicycle at a Goodwill in Chandler, then changed his story and said that it belonged to his friend and he was riding back to him. Schwarz would later allegedly admit that he sat near the bike and watched it for about 45 minutes before deciding to take it, according to police.

As he was arrested, officers allegedly found a glass pipe in Schwarz’s pocket as well as a pink baggie containing a clear crystal-like substance in his wallet, according to the police report. That substance subsequently tested positive for meth, police said.

Schwarz was booked into Pinal County Jail and has since been released.

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