A Bloomington man was arrested for theft Saturday night after claiming he thought items left on a front porch were free for the taking.
Police responded to a report of a burglary in progress around 8:12 p.m. Saturday at 913 W. 11th St., Bloomington Police Department Sgt. Brandon Siniard said. A resident told police a man walked up onto the porch of the house and knocked on the door before taking picture frames, a book and a lamp.
When police arrived, they found 37-year-old Maurice Gifford near the house with the stolen items on his bike. Gifford said he thought the items on the porch were free for anyone to take, like furniture put out on the curb.
Gifford was arrested for theft. While the initial call was a burglary report, Gifford was not charged with burglary since he did not enter the residence.
