A 34-year-old man was arrested Thursday at College Mall while possessing a loaded stolen handgun while trying to fraudulently make a purchase Thursday, according to Bloomington Police Department Captain Ryan Pedigo.
Around 3:28 p.m. police got a call from a 37-year-old man reporting his 2014 blue Toyota Tacoma truck was stolen. The truck also contained a loaded handgun, credit cards, cash, and a driver’s license.
The truck was parked around 2 p.m. and found missing around 3 p.m. It was unlocked and had the keys inside. It was parked behind a business in the 1600 block of South Walnut Street.
However not long after the police were called, the victim got an alert that someone was trying to use a credit card just canceled at a business on East Third Street believed to be either a gas station or fast food restaurant. Police responded but didn’t locate the stolen vehicle.
A few minutes later, someone tried to use a canceled card at a vape shop in College Mall, and police responded to the scene, and got a description of the suspect who left the vape shop. The stolen vehicle was found in the parking lot. Then not long after, police located the suspect trying to buy items in Hot Topic with a stolen credit card, and armed with the loaded handgun, which was tucked inside their waistband.
Police detained the suspect and found the keys to the truck in their pocket. They were arrested, and are being preliminarily charged with auto theft, a level 6 felony’ theft from a motor vehicle, a level 5 felony; violent felon in possession of a firearm, a level 4 felony; and credit card fraud, an A misdemeanor.
The suspect is listed on the police log as, “transient.”
