BEDFORD — A Bloomington man was arrested Wednesday night, October 22, 2026, after a resident tracked his stolen son’s bicycle to a local convenience store, leading police to uncover methamphetamine, hypodermic needles, and drug paraphernalia, according to court documents.
Kenneth Dalton Daniel Sanders, 27, of Bloomington, faces preliminary charges of theft with a prior conviction, possession of methamphetamine, unlawful possession of a syringe, possession of marijuana, and possession of paraphernalia.
According to a probable cause affidavit filed by Officer Joshua Turner of the Bedford Police Department, officers were dispatched at approximately 9:04 p.m. on Oct. 22 to the Dollar General parking lot at 1303 16th Street.
The caller reported that his dog began barking frantically, prompting him to look outside where he spotted a man walking past with a bicycle. After checking his property, the caller discovered his son’s black-and-white Spector bicycle, valued at approximately $200, was missing. The caller tracked the suspect traveling south on M Street while pushing a second bike.
At approximately 9:20 p.m., the male caller called police back to report he had spotted the suspect walking near the Circle K near the Hauck House. Officers located Sanders, who matched the description and was wearing an orange sweatshirt and carrying a backpack, walking west on 15th Street.
Confession and Arrest Escalation
When initially questioned by police, Sanders claimed a friend named “Carl” had given him the bicycle about thirty minutes prior. However, after officers brought Headrick to the scene to confirm the identity of the bicycle and suspect, Sanders admitted to police that he had indeed stolen it.
Initially, officers prepared to issue a court summons for the theft. However, when Sanders mentioned a prior guilty plea for conversion, a records check through INCITE confirmed the prior conviction, elevating the charge to a felony and resulting in his physical arrest.
Search Uncovers Meth and Syringes
A search of Sanders’ person and backpack revealed a cache of illicit items and drug contraband:
- A small plastic bag containing a crystal-like substance that field-tested positive for methamphetamine.
- An electronic smoking device that field-tested positive for marijuana.
- Two hypodermic needles located inside his backpack.
- Four glass smoking devices with burnt residue.
- A plastic tourniquet “tie-off” used for locating veins for intravenous drug injection.
- A cut straw with white residue and a small metal cap with brown residue used for mixing substances.
Sanders was transported and booked into the Lawrence County Jail. A second bicycle in his possession that was verified not to be stolen was delivered to a residence at his request. All seized evidence was processed and placed into the Bedford Police Department evidence locker.
All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. This article is based on the information provided in the probable cause affidavit and does not represent a final determination of guilt or innocence.
