SEATTLE -- Are you the victim of a bike theft?
On Tuesday, Seattle police say they uncovered dozens of stolen bikes after receiving a tip on Twitter. Now they`re trying to reunite those bikes with their owners.
“I’ve been going to different bike shops in the area because mine was stolen. Different people have told me it’s kind of a hot month for bike theft,” says Kyla Trujillo.
She’s hoping her bike is among the many recovered by police.
“I had a Cannondale road bike that I’d had for a few years. I’d done a lot of work on it, made it my own, and it was really disappointing to see it gone,” says Trujillo.
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Seattle police recover over 2 dozen stolen bikes
Seattle police recover over 2 dozen stolen bikes
The Twitter tip led investigators to a suspicious Craigslist seller, promoting high-end bikes at deep discounts. A detective, pretending to be a buyer, met with the seller and an accomplice at a downtown storage facility where dozens of stolen bikes were being stored.
“Some of these bikes had been stripped to a degree for parts, unfortunately. Very high-end bikes, at least a couple dozen. And then several other dozen lower-end bikes,” says Seattle police detective Drew Fowler.
After tracing serial numbers, the bikes came up stolen and police arrested both suspects.
A total of 27 bikes and 30 expensive bike rims were recovered.
Over at Greg`s Greenlake Cycles, manager Leif Thorsen spends a lot of time educating people about how to protect their bikes from thieves.
“It’s startling, but not surprising. I think the amount of bikes that are stolen in Seattle is pretty high,” says Thorsen.
Thorsen adds that buying a proper lock for your ride is not the time to pinch pennies. You want a solid 'U' shape lock with a deep gauge so you can fit your back tire, front tire and frame around the bike rack.
“You can have bikes that cost as much as cars and they`re being sold much more readily on Craiglist and eBay. There`s not much recourse in trying to track them down,” says Thorsen.
In order to claim your bike, the Seattle Police Department says you`re going to need to provide proof of ownership. That could be a purchase receipt, a serial number or case number related to the bike, or a picture of you with the bike.
To view the bikes check out the SPD blotter: http://t.co/6k9rzDuUlJ