A man living in a homeless encampment in the Arana Gulch area was arrested Tuesday after he was found with illegal drugs, cash, police scanners and a passel of high-end stolen bikes totaling more than $30,000.
Joshua Morris, 35, was charged with grant theft, possession of controlled substances for sale, illegally using a police scanner, resisting arrest and trespassing. He was booked into Santa Cruz County Jail in lieu of $25,000 bail, jail records showed.
According to the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s office, deputies investigating increasing crime in the area conducted a foot patrol and found multiple mountain bikes, E-bikes, E-scooters, and dozens of tools, all believed to be stolen.
During their foot patrol through the protected habitat area—where camping is illegal—deputies spotted drug paraphernalia near a tent.
When they approached, Morris ran, but was detained after a short foot pursuit. He was found with more than 100 grams of fentanyl, drug packaging materials, cash, and police scanners.
Morris claimed the items weren’t his.
Several stolen items have already been matched to their rightful owners, but the sheriff’s office is seeking additional victims to return the rest.Anyone who believes their property may be among the recovered items can contact Det. Alex Spencer at 831.454.7636 or email al***************@***************ca.gov.
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