Man arrested after 2-hour pursuit around Phoenix area

PHOENIX (KSAZ) - A man riding on a stolen motorcycle was arrested after leading authorities on a chase across Phoenix for over an hour on Tuesday afternoon.

Phoenix police say 35-year-old Robert Wheeler Waits was arrested after he abandoned the motorcycle and gave up near 19th Avenue and Glendale.

According to court paperwork, Waits is listed as homeless out of Mesa, which is where the motorcycle he was riding was allegedly stolen from.

In the area of 52nd Street and the Loop 202 freeway, Phoenix police reported first spotting Waits and the motorcycle parked in a neighborhood. Officials say Waits cut the exhaust pipes off the Harley-Davidson and took them to the back of a house on the street, and then took off on the bike.

Police say when they tried to pull over Waits after 12:00 p.m. in East Mesa, he took off. Thus began a pursuit that lasted 2.5 hours from Mesa through Phoenix, Anthem, Cave Creek and Carefree. He ditched the bike at a townhouse complex near 19th Avenue and Glendale in Phoenix and took off on foot. He later surrendered to officers.

In a strange twist to this pursuit, many people noticed the words "Good Blees" written on the roof of the complex where Waits dumped the motorcycle. Some people said it was just the misspelling of God Bless, but there is actually a band called Good Blees. No one we spoke to knows how the words even got on the roof, but many agree it was a fitting end to what had been a wild ride.

Waits was booked into Fourth Avenue jail on Tuesday night and he faces one count of theft of means of transportation, unlawful flight, and altering a VIN. He has prior arrests and is due back in court March 16th.