BRADENTON BEACH – Levi Oxendine, 22, of Bradenton, was arrested on March 30 for the theft of two bicycles – one that he was riding, and the other that he had on the handlebars.
Oxendine was riding northbound in the 2800 block of Gulf Drive when Officer Eric Hill spotted him. The rider looked panicked when he saw the patrol vehicle, and began to pedal faster in an effort to get away, Hill wrote in his report. When Hill turned on his emergency lights and called out for him to stop, Oxendine got rid of the second bike and took off in the opposite direction.
Oxendine cut through yards to try to avoid capture, but Hill was able to cut him off on Avenue E, according to the report. Oxendine slipped on loose gravel and cut his ankle, at which time EMS was called to treat the injury. Officer Tom Ferrara arrived on the scene to assist in the arrest and found Oxendine in possession of a methamphetamine pipe.
Both bikes were found to be stolen from Runaway Bay Condos, and the owners both wished to press charges.
When the officers ran a warrant check on Oxendine, they found he was wanted on multiple felony warrants for burglary, larceny and other charges in Manatee and Sarasota counties. According to records obtained from the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, Oxendine has a record going back to 2017 with multiple felonies, including vehicle theft, drug charges and grand theft. He was arrested for burglary, obstruction and possession of drug paraphernalia and held in Manatee County Jail on $10,000 bond.
The bike arrest was the second in less than a week.
Hill also arrested Kelly Martin, of Bradenton Beach, for burglary on Avenue C on March 25 for entering a property where she formerly resided and stealing a bicycle from the current owner who stored it in a laundry room.
Hill said that despite the arrests, owners should always lock their bikes or secure them indoors.
