More than $30,000 of stolen e-bikes, tools discovered at Santa Cruz County encampment

LIVE OAK — A recent law enforcement operation in Live Oak resulted in the recovery of a warehouse’s worth of missing goods, along with extensive drug paraphernalia.

After being tipped off by community members about possible crime activity moving from the Arana Gulch area into Live Oak, deputies with the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office patrolled the region on foot Tuesday and discovered dozens of high-end electric bicycles worth more than $30,000 along with $2,000 of construction tools. All are believed to be stolen and were stashed away in an encampment.

According to a social media post from the sheriff’s office, the patrol took place in a protected habitat area, where camping is illegal. After surveying the region on foot, the deputies spotted a tent with drug paraphernalia near it. A man at the encampment attempted to evade law enforcement when he saw the deputies approaching, but he was detained after a short pursuit.

The man, later identified as Joshua Morris, was apprehended with 100 grams of fentanyl, drug packaging materials, cash and police scanners and was booked on multiple felony charges. Morris denied that the mountain bicycles, e-bikes, electric scooters and dozens of tools discovered at the encampment were his.

The sheriff’s office wrote that several stolen items have already been matched back with their rightful owners, but there are many more that have not yet been claimed.

The agency has advised the public that if they believe one of the recovered items belongs to them, they should contact sheriff’s office Detective Alex Spencer at 831-454-7636 or via email at alexander.spencer@santacruzcountyca.gov.