Kid Uses Ingenious Method To Find Stolen Bike When Cops Can’t
Posted September 19, 2008 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
As the trial of three people accused in a massive Toronto bike theft ring starts the long process of wending its way through the court system, one young victim of a similar crime in the U.S. found a way to beat police to the punch – and get his wheels back.
The adventure for the unnamed 13-year-old began in White Plains, New York, when someone made off with his pricey $2,200 mountain bike. The distressed young lad called police to report the theft, and they promised to investigate.
Cops will tell you these kinds of cases are tough to solve once the bicycle disappears. But the teen wasn’t about to take that for an answer.
Using his ingenuity – and his computer – he immediately started scouring the listings on eBay, looking for a bike that matched the description of the one he lost. It didn’t take him long to find it, and the vendor just happened to be someone who lived in the area.
He told cops about his discovery and they set up a sting, arranging to meet the person behind the posting. When the seller showed up, cops determined he had the missing bike and promptly placed him under arrest.
A 17-year-old is charged in the theft and has been freed on bail.
And the young detective has his prized possession back, after showing the authorities how it’s done.
