Anyone out there in Readerland missing a bike?
Or eight?
The Newport Beach Police Department believes nine bikes fell into the possession of Matthew Donald Simpson.
One bicycle was identified as stolen property from a Newport Beach garage burglary in July, says police spokeswoman Jennifer Manzella, who adds the two-wheeler was returned to its rightful owner.
It and the other eight bikes, which you can see here, were found after Newport cops served a search warrant last Friday morning at 41-year-old Simpson’s residence in the 16700 block of Viewpoint Lane in Huntington Beach.
“In the course of the search, detectives located and seized the following narcotics: approximately 858.8 grams (almost 1.9 pounds) of methamphetamine, 19.3 grams of marijuana, 30 milliliters of Lorazepam oral concentrate, 30 milliliters of Morphine sulfate oral solution, and 12 milliliters of Haloperidol oral solution; along with 121 Adderall pills, 15 Alprazolam pills, and 15 Tramadol pills,” states a release from Manzella.
“Detectives also found various other prescription medications, an operable digital scale and 65 unused plastic baggies inside the home. Based on this located evidence, Mr. Simpson was arrested for possession of controlled substances for sale.”
Other property seized at the home included a credit card skimmer and several pieces of mail belonging to other people, both of which could indicate identity theft, and $3,839 in cash, Manzella notes.
If you think any of the remaining bicycles are yours, contact police at 949.644.3791.
In the meantime, detectives are continuing to investigate possible identify theft or fraud. Anyone with additional information in the case is asked to contact Det. Roland Stucken at 949.644.3756 or via ro*******@nb**.org.
OC Weekly Editor-in-Chief Matt Coker has been engaging, enraging and entertaining readers of newspapers, magazines and websites for decades. He spent the first 13 years of his career in journalism at daily newspapers before “graduating” to OC Weekly in 1995 as the alternative newsweekly’s first calendar editor.