BAY ST. LOUIS, Miss. — A 27-year-old man is in custody following a string of thefts in Bay St. Louis and Waveland, according to Interim Chief Alvin Kingston of the Bay St. Louis Police Department.
Sterling Bell, a local resident, was arrested on July 1 and charged with credit card fraud after an investigation into a stolen wallet led police to connect him to multiple crimes.
Officers responded to a report of a found wallet in the 200 block of Highway 90. The wallet’s owner told police it had been taken from his vehicle overnight and that unauthorized purchases were made using his bank card at the Gulf Coast Community Federal Credit Union.
Surveillance footage showed a man—later identified as Bell—wearing dark clothing and riding a bicycle during the fraudulent transaction.
Further investigation revealed that the bicycle used in the crime had also been stolen from a Waveland residence the same night. Authorities have since linked Bell to additional thefts in both Bay St. Louis and Waveland over recent days.
Bell is being held in Hancock County Jail without bond, facing multiple charges across both cities.
