After issuing a crime alert Tuesday afternoon, Golden Valley Police have arrested a man they say was going door-to-door asking for money and stealing from residents.

Golden Valley police arrested Mark Christopher Bell for soliciting without a permit after a resident called police Tuesday night.

The caller said Bell was going door-to-door saying he needed help because his car had broken down on the highway.

Police say when they found Bell, they disproved his story and arrested him.  He was booked and released with a pending court date.

Police say Bell looked for opportunities to steal and often told people he needed money to get his vehicle out of impound or that his vehicle had broken down.  Police say he's mentioned being at a church in Golden Valley. 

Police say some people had given him cash, and in one case someone actually drove him to a cash machine to give him money.

Police say Bell has a lengthy criminal history dating back to 1983 that includes drug charges, burglary, forgery, robbery, fleeing police, weapons violations, and theft.