A 44-year-old Ocala man is facing burglary and theft charges after he allegedly stole a mountain bike from a local residence.
On Wednesday, August 14, a Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputy responded to a residence located on NE 52nd Avenue in Ocala in reference to a burglary incident. The male victim told the deputy that he had noticed that his mountain bike was no longer in his garage, according to the arrest report.
The report stated that a nearby video surveillance camera had captured a man entering the victim’s garage at 1:48 p.m. on August 9. The suspect had short dark hair and a dark goatee, and he was wearing sunglasses, a NASA shirt, and gym shorts. In addition, he was carrying a “military style” tan backpack.
The footage showed the suspect walking past the victim’s residence as he looked into the open garage. The suspect then turned around and walked past the victim’s home again before approaching the garage. While the footage showed the suspect entering the garage, it did not capture the suspect leaving with the stolen bike, according to the report.
The value of the stolen multi-speed mountain bike was listed at $150. Additionally, an attached stroller and trailer ($120 value) was also missing.
On Monday, August 26, an MCSO corporal responded to the Circle K located at 5182 E Silver Springs Boulevard and asked if management recognized the suspect in this theft case. A manager recognized the suspect and showed the corporal a photo of the same individual, which was taken on the day of the bike theft, according to the report.
The manager advised that the male suspect “often steals drinks” from Circle K, and he had allegedly stolen a beer on August 14 – the same day as the bike theft. The deputy noted in the report that in the photo provided by the manager, the suspect was wearing a NASA shirt and gym shorts, and he was carrying a tan backpack.
After turning to the community via social media for help identifying the suspect, an anonymous tip helped MCSO eventually identify the theft suspect as Jason Michael Baska.
On Wednesday, September 18, an MCSO detective and corporal responded to the 11400 NW 11th Place in Ocala and made contact with several neighbors who confirmed that Baska lived in a nearby recreational vehicle (RV).
The report stated that Baska was observed standing in front of the RV, and he was carrying a tan backpack. He refused to speak with law enforcement regarding the theft incident.
While at the RV, the corporal made contact with Baska’s girlfriend. After being shown a photo of the victim’s bicycle and trailer, she allegedly confirmed that both were in her boyfriend’s possession at one point. However, she stated that Baska “fixes up bicycles to sell them,” so she was unsure if he still had the victim’s bike and trailer, according to the report.
The corporal noted in the report that numerous bicycles were visible in the vicinity of Baska’s RV, and they were “in multiple stages of disassembly.”
Baska was arrested and transported to Marion County Jail, where he is currently being held without bond. He is being charged with unarmed burglary of an occupied dwelling and grand theft of a dwelling (over $100 but less than $300).
A court date has not been scheduled yet, according to jail records.