A 22-year old Baltimore man is facing theft charges after being found with a city police cell phone that had been stolen at the same time as a departmental handgun and ammunition from a police lieutenant's locked private vehicle.

Police used a GPS device to trace the phone, stolen July 4 from the truck of Lt. Brian Matulonis, who had parked on Monument Street. Also missing were Matulonis' Glock handgun and 10 rounds of ammunition in a magazine. Matulonis, a 23-year veteran, is also a Republican candidate for Maryland House of Delegates in District 12A, which covers southwestern Baltimore County and Elkridge in Howard County.

According to police reports and charging documents dated Wednesday, Malachi Goods of the 8200 block of Lexington St. was charged with theft of the phone, though he told police that he bought it from another man. The gun has not been recovered. Goods, who is being held on $100,000 bail, is facing trial Aug. 23 for phone theft and has also been charged with violating probation for a carjacking.

Police were called to Matulonis' parked truck at 1:45 a.m. July 4. He told officers he had parked and locked the vehicle just after midnight, and activated the alarm. The phone and gun were locked in a concealed compartment inside. A thief had smashed a window and found both items. That same night, police went to 920 Webb Court, where they found Goods, who offered to sell the phone to officers for $400. He was arrested but said he had bought it from someone else for $75.

larry.carson@baltsun.com