Man held in theft of $1,800 bike

Huntington Beach police arrested a suspect linked to the theft of an expensive bicycle from the downtown area over the weekend.

Matthew Hewes, 38, of Las Vegas was taken into custody Tuesday on suspicion of grand theft and possession of burglary tools, Lt. Gary Faust said.

Officers were flagged down around 8 a.m. Tuesday by a person who told them of a possible sighting of the man near Main Street and Walnut Avenue.

The Police Department had posted on its Facebook page an enhanced photo from surveillance footage of the person, described as a 6-foot-tall white man with dark hair and a receding hairline. He was wearing a black jacket, dark blue jeans and black boots and appeared to be holding a pair of bolt cutters.

Authorities caught up to the suspect, who was wearing the same jacket as in the photo, and arrested him.

The theft took place around 7 a.m. Sunday near The Longboard Restaurant and Pub.

The bicycle, valued at about $1,800, has yet to be recovered, but police are working on leads in hopes of retrieving it, Faust said.

Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to call Huntington Beach police at (714) 960-8825.

— Anthony Clark Carpio

Twitter: @acocarpio