Tyler D. Bolton was riding in style in a tricked-out Cadillac paid for with money allegedly stolen from a Greene County man.

But not for long.

The 1996 luxury car, complete with custom 22-inch wheel rims, was purchased for $4,000 from a Greeneville auto dealer, after $36,000 was reported taken July 23 from a house in the 2000 block of Horse Creek Park Road, sheriff's Detective Sgt. Mike Fincher said Monday.

Bolton, 19, of 1202 Sun Valley Road, was taken into custody Saturday at an apartment in the 600 block of Mt. Bethel Road.

The white Cadillac was located at the Greeneville Manor Apartments and impounded on Friday, Fincher said.

Bolton "had no money left" when he was picked up, Fincher said.

He is charged with theft between $10,000 and $60,000, and also possession of a Schedule VI controlled substance. Suspected marijuana was found on Bolton after he was taken into custody, Fincher said.

Bolton's first General Sessions Court appearance was Monday. He remains held on $18,500 bond in the Greene County Detention Center.

The owner of the Horse Creek house was at a hospital visiting his wife when the theft occurred, sheriff's Deputy Toby Price said in a report.

Bolton was staying at the house with his girlfriend, who is the victim's granddaughter, the report said. The granddaughter works a night shift, was tired on July 23, and fell asleep after returning from work.

While she was asleep, "[Bolton] got into the victim's locked bedroom and pried open the victim's safe, which held $36,000 in cash," the report said.

When the victim's granddaughter woke up, Bolton and the cash were both gone. The woman "found [the] victim's safe broken into," the report said.

The granddaughter later confronted Bolton on Austin Street in Greeneville. The couple argued, the report said, and Bolton "threw $10,800 in cash" at her, stating "that's all he had left."

Bolton left in a car driven by another man, the report said. He was out of town for several days before returning to Greeneville in the Cadillac, Fincher said.

"As soon as he came into town, we found him," the officer added.

Investigators are doing what they can to recover the victim's money, Fincher said.

The $36,000 represented the man's life's savings, he said.

"There's still $26,000 he's not got back," Fincher said. "The victim got some of his money back. It is unusual, when it is cash, [to get anything back]. It is gone in a few days."

Bolton has made no statements as to what happened to the balance of the missing money, Fincher said.

"Since he went and bought this car, we're going to keep investigating," he said.

Bolton's preliminary hearing in General Sessions Court date is set for Sept. 12.

The safe did not prove to be secure against the attempted theft, Fincher said, and that fact has prompted the homeowner to rethink his methods of saving money.

"The victim does not keep cash at the house anymore," he said.