A 20-year-old Longview man was arrested early Monday morning after he was caught by Hoquiam police with a knife and bicycle stolen from a tugboat moored in the 700 block of Levee Street.

A Hoquiam officer observed two men in a dumpster behind a closed business in the 400 block of 6th Street early in the morning. One of the men attempted to flee on a red bicycle. According to Hoquiam Police Chief Jeff Myers, the officer had contacted the man several times earlier in the shift, at one point giving him a courtesy ride to the hospital for a mental health check. During those prior contacts, the man was on foot and did not have a bicycle, said Myers.

The suspect admitted he had taken the bicycle from “a boat,” and another officer found the tug boat had been boarded and the cabin entered, said Myers. The suspect was detained and a knife was recovered from his pocket. Myers said officers verified the “high-value” bicycle and knife had been stolen from the tug’s galley.

The suspect was held at the Hoquiam City Jail prior to being transferred to the Grays Harbor County Jail on two felony counts: First-degree vehicle prowling and second-degree theft, due to the value of the bicycle, said Myers. The bicycle was returned to the owner and no damage was observed on the vessel.