A shoplifting spree came to a halt in Colma last Monday when a 43-year-old male suspect from San Francisco was taken into custody after a chase that saw him trying to make a getaway on a bicycle—and then by hiding in some bushes. The incident played out at around 9:35 p.m. in a shopping center on the 200 block of Colma Boulevard, according to Colma Police Department.

The thief, whose identity remained a mystery until a fingerprint search at the station, packed his escape vehicle, a bicycle, with approximately $183.66 worth of goods before employees spotted him and attempted to stop him. The responding officers ordered him to halt, but he showed no sign of compliance, pedaling away rapidly, only to be found later by backup officers who discovered him surreptitiously ensconced in neighboring shrubbery.

The suspect put up a fight when police attempted to cuff him, but resistance proved futile as he was ultimately detained and found to be carrying much more than stolen merchandise: a concealed dirk/dagger, drug paraphernalia, and multiple credit cards and identification cards belonging to others. His laundry list of charges included possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of stolen property, carrying a concealed dirk/dagger, resisting a peace officer, and misappropriation of lost property—as well as a no-bail felony warrant from out of state.

After his arrest, he was transported to the local police department, where his refusal to cooperate continued, yet a fingerprint search cut through the silence to reveal the suspect's identity and his outstanding felony warrant. He has been booked into the San Mateo County Jail and is facing multiple charges for his shopping center heist.