Law roundup: Tire change arouses suspicion

A man changing the tire of a pink bicycle while allegedly talking to himself drew the suspicion of a passerby, who called the Kalispell Police Department. The property hosting the impromptu bike repair shop belonged to a private organization, the caller told dispatchers. The man should not be there. While the man on the bicycle eventually left, the caller tracked him to a nearby car wash where officers found him going through the garbage.

Officers attempted to track down a man accused of stealing a bicycle from a local shelter. Though they checked area hangouts, attempts to find him ended unsuccessfully.

A parent told authorities their children received threatening text messages the night prior.

Two white pickup trucks and a black car apparently were doing their best “Fast and Furious” impression. A motorist heading from one city elementary school to another saw one of the vehicles ignore a stop sign. All three were tailgating, passing traffic and allegedly racing one another. The caller helpfully handed over images of the vehicles and took down license plates for investigators.

A woman expressed concern for her safety after she learned that the other individual involved in her recent hit-and-run accident now had her address.

Officers arranged for the exchange of belongings between two embattled sisters. One of the sisters approached authorities after getting a text from her sibling requesting she come over and pickup her possessions. The problem? She was barred from going to her sister’s home. Officers spoke with both women to facilitate the handover of goods.

A resident called police to tow a trailer left parked on the side of the street. When officers arrived, they met with another homeowner in the neighborhood who knew the trailer’s owner and arranged for authorities to speak with them. The trailer’s owner was told to either move the vehicle today or risk it getting towed.

Officers were asked to intervene with a pedestrian described as possibly suffering from a mental health crisis. The caller, a patron of a local business, told officers the man was acting strange, but not aggressive. He did not appear to be armed. Arriving officers discovered the man was a woman and she was fine.

A Great Falls resident reported the theft of their handgun from their vehicle while visiting Kalispell earlier in the week. The gun owner told officers that they stopped at a popular breakfast restaurant before going to an appointment. During that time, the gun was stowed underneath the driver’s seat, she said. She noticed the gun missing as she unpacked after arriving home.

Five vehicles taking up space in a local parking lot irked the property manager, who asked officers to make contact. He requested officers let the vehicle owners know they will be barred from the property if they return.

Police received word of a red gas can left in the center lane of a local road.

Employees called authorities for help after two men barred from the store the week prior returned. The pair were hanging out in the deli area and harassing customers, the workers said. Officers removed the men and cited one for trespassing.

A drunk man who wandered into a local lobby and refused to leave earned a call to police.

A passerby called in a possible case of child neglect after spotting two kids left inside a van with no adult supervision. The caller reported hearing the kids crying. The apparent mother arrived soon after and began loading items into the back of the van, the caller told police.

A motorist who lost the keys to their vehicle while it was parked in the lobby of a local big box retailer asked officers to check in on it through the night.