Bay Point man arrested in ridiculous crossbow theft

BAY POINT — A local resident was arrested on suspicion of stealing a crossbow from a longtime friend, simply by running off with the item while his friend’s back was turned.

The 39-year-old Bay Point man was arrested Dec. 16 on suspicion of petty theft, and later released with no charges filed, court records show. Under state law, prosecutors have a year to file a case against him.

The police report for the theft reads like a cartoon. It says that the victim considered the suspect a longtime, trustworthy friend and that he’d arranged to sell the suspect the crossbow for $215.

On the day the sale was to take place, the victim was setting up a target so the suspect could try out the crossbow. When finished setting up the target, the victim turned around, only to see his “friend” scurrying away in the distance, crossbow in hand. He tried to give chase, but the suspect had too much of a head start, police said.

A Contra Costa County sheriff’s deputy saw the suspect carrying something in a large bag later that day, but the suspect fled when the deputy tried to apprehend him, police said. So police secured an arrest warrant for the man on Dec. 8, and arrested him in Bay Point eight days later, records show.