'Hot' Vodka Leaves Cyclist Cooling His Heels in Jail

On November 5^th, 2013, two VicPD officers attended to a local liquor retailer in the area of Fort Street and Foul Bay Road for a theft complaint.

Once they arrived they learned that a second theft had occurred between the first complaint and their subsequent arrival.

The retailer had an excellent digital imaging system and the officers watched both thefts and made notes of the suspects descriptions.

The second of the two thefts involved a male who had his right pant leg partially rolled up. In policing we call that a clue and the officers formed the opinion that he was likely a cyclist. He selected two rather expensive bottles of Vodka and left the store.

Less than an hour later those same members were in the area of Cook and Haultain streets searching for a male who had been seen trying the door handles of parked cars as he walked along. It was dark by this time and the officers were checking to see if any vehicles had been entered when their attention was drawn to a cyclist riding without lights or helmet.

Both officers immediately recognized the male as the Vodka thief from earlier.

The suspect was stopped and arrested. Both 1.75 L bottles of Vodka were gone but, in exchange, he had a quantity of methamphetamine in his possession.