Police: Bike Thief Nabbed in Crystal City

A 47-year-old man was apprehended after a brief struggle early Thursday in Crystal City.

Howard Montgomery, of no fixed address, was arrested and charged with grand larceny, larceny with intent to sell, possession of burglarious tools and obstruction of justice, according to the Arlington County Police Department. He was held on no bond.  

An officer saw Montgomery riding a bicycle while pulling another bike alongside him shortly before 3 a.m. Thursday in the 1600 block of South Eads Street — an area that has had a number of recent bike thefts, according to police.

The officer stopped Montgomery to question him, at which point the man tried to escape — and that led to a struggle, according to police.

"He dropped the bikes and tried to run," police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck told Patch. "He did not want the officer to stop him and ask him questions. I wouldn't necessarily call it a fight, but our officer had to physically grab him."

Police found a power grinder with numerous blades on the man.

Upon questioning, he admitted to stealing the two bikes he was with, a Cannondale and a Drossiger, according to police.

Bike theft in Arlington County is at an "all-time high," police announced earlier this month.

July saw the highest number of bikes stolen in a single month in the past three years. Police have asked residents to use caution, secure their bikes with U-locks and register their bikes through the department's online system.

The bikes recovered Thursday morning were not registered with the Arlington County Police Department, Sternbeck said.

"We're trying to track down the owners of these bicycles, which would be a lot easier if they registered their bikes through our online system," he said.

Detectives will question Montgomery about any past involvement in bicycle theft in Arlington, Sternbeck said.