UC Irvine baits a bike with GPS: It’s stolen; 2 men are arrested

UC Irvine police used a bait bike to catch a pair of theft suspects over the weekend, according to the university.

At around 5:40 a.m. Saturday, two homeless men cut through a lock to steal a bicycle on campus, according to UCI spokeswoman Cathy Lawhon.

But the bicycle was a bait bike outfitted with GPS and intended to be stolen so officers can quickly track down the perpetrators.

Lawhon said investigators used the bike’s GPS tracker to find two men who were arrested on suspicion of grand theft, possession of stolen property and possession of burglary tools.

Police identified the suspects as Randolph Sibold, 26, and Alan May, 39.

Both were booked into Orange County Jail with bail set at $20,000 each, Lawhon said.

At the time of his arrest, May was on probation for a bicycle theft conviction, according to the university.