Uruguayan arrested for stealing neighbor’s dirt bike

BY JENNIFER CABRERA

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Jose Carlos Piriz Santana, 24, was arrested early this morning and charged with grand theft of a dirt bike after an anonymous caller reported a man pushing a dirt bike down the road in the dark.

At about 3:00 a.m., the caller reported that a man was pushing a motorcycle on NW 44th Avenue; a responding Gainesville Police Department Officer saw a man, later identified as Piriz Santana, sitting on a 2022 Kayo dirt bike at the intersection of NW 10th Street and NW 44th Avenue. The officer reported that Piriz Santana was doing something at the front of the bike, where the ignition would be.

The officer reported that when he pulled up, Piriz Santana threw a knife into the woods and put his hands in the air. The officer wrote that as he approached the dirt bike, he could see that the ignition had been damaged. He ran the VIN of the dirt bike and contacted the owner, who lived nearby. The victim reportedly said that his bike, which is worth $3,000, was supposed to be in his backyard and that he had not given anyone permission to use it.

Post Miranda, Piriz Santana reportedly admitted that the dirt bike belonged to his neighbor and that he took it to go to the store. He reportedly said that he had attempted to start the bike with a knife and that he intended to return the bike after going to the store. Piriz Santana was identified by his Uruguay identification card.

Piriz Santana does not have any local criminal history; bail information is unavailable on holidays.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.