Bike Bandit” Busted Minutes After Gas Station Robbery – Just Days After His Last Arrest!
You can’t make this stuff up, folks.
Just when you thought your day couldn’t get any wilder, a man in a red hoodie rolled into the Valero gas station on Gallia Street, stole several items, threatened to stab an employee, and then fled the scene… on a bicycle.
That’s right — a bike getaway.
Employees called police after the man made his bold (and bizarre) escape, pedaling southbound over the overpass like he was in the Tour de Theft.
But his grand escape didn’t last long. Portsmouth police caught up with him within minutes and took him into custody without incident. The alleged two-wheeled terror? Kayne Fulcher, who’s no stranger to the justice system.
Turns out, Fulcher has been keeping local convenience stores on high alert. Speedway employees just down the road had reported multiple incidents involving him in recent days. And get this — Fulcher was just arrested for theft on March 28, pleaded no contest on April 3, and received a 30-day suspended sentence, one year of probation, and an order to stay away from several Portsmouth markets.
So much for that.
Here’s where things get even messier: Court records list Fulcher as homeless, despite the fact that having a stable residence is technically a requirement for probation. But like many things in the justice system, that rule doesn’t seem to be getting much enforcement.
In the end, Fulcher was charged with robbery, a much more serious offense than shoplifting, and is once again off the streets — for now.
This latest case highlights a recurring theme in Portsmouth: a revolving door of petty crime, homelessness, and probation violations, with no real fix in sight. But that may soon change.
On Monday, April 14, Portsmouth City Council is set to vote on forming a Homelessness Task Force, hoping to create a real strategy for tackling the growing crisis that continues to spill onto our streets — and, apparently, into our gas stations.
Stay tuned. Because around here, even a bike ride can turn into breaking news.
