A Landers man was arrested Thursday after claiming to be the owner of a stolen motorcycle and off-road vehicle. According to a Sheriff’s report, a deputy stopped a motorcycle being driven without a license plate near Linn Road and Chapton Avenue in Landers about 5 p.m. The driver of the motorcycle told the deputy that the bike belonged to his roommate, William Gaines, 32. The deputy then went to the 56200 block of Lum Lane and spoke with Gaines, who claimed that he was indeed the owner and provided a bill of sale. A records check, however, found that the bike had been reported stolen and Gaines did not have permission to have it. During a probation check of the residence, the deputy found a quad off-road vehicle that had also been reported stolen. Though Gaines told the deputy that he had gotten it from a friend, a records check failed to confirm that account. William Gaines was arrested for investigation of possession of stolen property and booked into the Morongo Basin Jail with bail set at $50,000.
