The incident happened on Wednesday, April 22, when two officers on their lunch break were alerted by a member of the public to a suspicious man in a parked car on Hickman Road.
As the officers approached, the man fled on foot.
He was arrested near Dingle Road railway station and was identified as a suspect in multiple offences.
The 41-year-old, who is from Penarth, was wanted in connection with several incidents.
These include shoplifting from Tesco and Peacocks, attempted theft from Spar on Brockhill Way, theft of a bike from Herbert Terrace, theft of power tools from a van, and theft of a vehicle.
A spokesperson for South Wales Police said: “Big thank you to the member of public for their vigilance and for reporting their concerns.
“Unfortunately, the officers did not get chance to take their details at the time.
“The officers also lost their Greggs sandwich, abandoned during the arrest, to a hungry seagull!”
The vehicle the man was using has been seized.
The man remains in custody.
