HEMET, Calif., Feb. 5 (UPI) -- A California police department said a man accused of leading officers on a motorcycle chase was arrested thanks to a discarded box of Girl Scout cookies.

The Hemet Police Department said officers attempted to stop a motorcyclist for a vehicle code violation about 4 p.m. Thursday, but the suspect sped away at speeds exceeding 100 mph.


Police said they called off the chase "for public safety reasons," but the pursuing officers saw the suspect throw an item into some bushes just before they lost sight of the vehicle.

Investigators recovered a box of Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies from the bushes and found it had an attached note with a phone number offering to sell the buyer more cookies.

The person who answered the phone confirmed they had just sold a box of the cookies to a motorcyclist.

Other witnesses led police to a trailer park, where the cookie seller was able to identify Joseph Kopff, 31, as the man who purchased the cookies.

Police said Kopff's motorcycle was smoking from the heat of its engine.

Kopff was arrested on a felony reckless evading charge and jailed in lieu of $100,000 bail.