Video of bike theft leads to arrest

RITZVILLE – Law enforcement officers arrested a man for theft and criminal trespassing after a residential video showing a man taking a bicycle from a home was forwarded to the police department.

Brian Massy of Ritzville, age 33, was arrested and booked into Adams County Jail on charges of Criminal Trespassing in the 2nd degree and Theft in the 3rd degree early Friday morning, July 2.

Chief Dave McCormick said video from a residence in the 200 block of East 10th Avenue showing the subject taking a black and silver Schwinn bicycle and riding off on it was sent to the police department shortly after 3 a.m.. Officer Tom Gracie recognized the subject as Brian Massy, a resident with a prison record and on parole, and wrote a statement of probable cause for his arrest. McCormick said Officer Gracie couldn't find him, but when Officer Matt Carlson came on duty at 6 a.m., he continued to look for him, with the assistance of Deputy Hunter Klewin. They found him that morning and arrested him.

"He's the one who's been walking around town and reportedly talking to kids," McCormick said. "He has been reported numerous times over the last month as being a suspicious person, looking in people's cars and in people's windows."

McCormick said one complaint was about Massy being at the city municipal golf course clubhouse, the Caddy Shack, in the middle of the night.

"Technically, the golf course is city property open to the public, so we would have a hard time arresting him for trespassing, even at 2 a.m. We've had reports that he's been in people's yards, but the videos and photos that we had do not show him in anybody's yard. They show him on the street or on the sidewalk. He has been seen and reported numerous times, but this is the first time we've got him on video committing a crime," McCormick said, adding he approached Massy earlier about the reports.

"I went and talked to him and said, you're making the whole community nervous. Stop walking around and talking to young girls," McCormick said. "I even talked to his mom a couple weeks ago; even though he's in his 30's, he lives with her in Ritzville. But the earlier reports weren't a crime. This is the first time we've caught him committing a crime that we can arrest him for."

McCormick said the last time Massy was arrested was on a Department of Corrections warrant for violating parole.

McCormick said, regarding people posting on social media they were relieved he was arrested and felt safer letting their kids out, he would be surprised if Massy stayed in jail over the Fourth of July weekend.

"They're just misdemeanor charges, and in this day and age it's hard to keep somebody in jail, even on a felony," McCormick said. "The jail is, for the most part, accepting most requests for bookings if they have room, now that it's not closed down for the COVID. A lot of people are glad that he was captured and is in custody, but I don't think the Department of Corrections will put a retainer on him, since his last sentence is over in July. I'm glad we got the guy, but we haven't found the bike yet."

Massy remains in the Adams County Jail as this article goes to press Monday, July 5.