A Leesburg man was arrested in Lady Lake recently after being caught riding a stolen electric bicycle he said he bought from a man named Tarzan.
Robert Wesley Allen, 36, of 1101 Pioneer Trail, was charged May 10 with grand theft of an item valued between $300 and $5,000 and possession of drug equipment.
Shortly before midnight May 9, Lady Lake Police officer observed a suspicious man behind a business at 936 Bichara Blvd. The man was identified as Allen, who was known to the officer from previous encounters. Allen was in possession of an electric bicycle reported stolen the previous day, according to the police report.
Allen told the officer he bought the bike from a man named Tarzan who lived in Marion County just outside Lady Lake. Asked for details about where Tarzan lived, Allen was uncooperative and vague. He said Tarzan’s house was a box trailer in the middle of a field off Highway 42. Allen did not know the road names but knew how to get there, the report said.
Allen said he paid around $100 for the bicycle. When asked why he didn’t know exactly how much he couldn’t give an answer. He eventually said he paid $80,000 for the bike, which was valued at about $1,750. The bicycle was reported stolen somewhere between 10 p.m. May 7 and noon on May 8, according to the report.
On May 7, Allen had encountered two other Lady Lake officers in the same area. At that time, he was riding a black Trek bicycle that was different from the one he was arrested for stealing. Asked where the Trek bicycle was, he said he left it at Tarzan’s house. When Allen was asked to take officers to Tarzan’s house, he said he didn’t know how to get there, the report said.
Allen also had in his possession a black bag. Asked if there was anything illegal in it, he said, “Yes, I have a container that is used to hold and mix meth in. Allen’s property was searched and a clear container was found in a black backpack under the trailer. Inside the container was clear residue that later tested positive for methamphetamine, according to the report.
Allen was taken to the Lake County Jail, where he was being held Saturday on $3,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear in Lake County Court on June 7.