Man lugging a mini fridge on a pink bicycle draws police attention

A burglary suspect wanted a mini refrigerator from a house he had allegedly entered in the 200 block of West Collins Street but knew he could not carry it, so he reportedly went in search of a grocery cart and was apprehended by police riding a bicycle while pushing the cart with the refrigerator and a full-body mirror in it.

An officer was dispatched to the scene at 8:40 p.m. Aug. 13 and saw the male pushing the Kroger shopping cart while riding a pink Mongoose bicycle though an adjacent alley. The suspect was stopped on Walnut Street. He was identified as Stephen Moster, 25.

Police had been called to the same residence at approximately 5 p.m. that evening concerning another burglary.

Moster was placed under arrest and told the officer he would find a “rig” in his pocket, referring to a hypodermic syringe he reportedly said he kept in case he got the chance to do drugs.

He told the officer the two men at the address had invited him to “take whatever I want.”

The two men, however, told a different story. They said they were cleaning up from the previous burglary incident and talking to their insurance representative when they heard sounds which made them fearful of being in the house with a burglar and went across the street to a neighbor’s porch. They said they saw Moster look out the window at them and go upstairs, coming back down with the mini fridge and mirror.

They said they moved to another position where they were able to watch as he loaded the items into the grocery cart and leave.

Moster was taken to the police department where he was read his rights and ultimately admitted to the theft. He reportedly said he had entered the house and saw the items but knew he could not carry them on his bike and left to get a grocery cart.

He was processed and charged with theft and possession of drug abuse instruments and taken to the Butler County Jail. There, he was also charged with burglary and with receiving stolen property for the Kroger shopping cart.

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