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08-03-07, 08:25 PM
There's hope yet for stolen bikes ... too late for me though ...
A Craigslist ad and some undercover detective work helped police nab three
suspected burglars Tuesday who are accused of stealing two bikes worth a
total of $15,000 from a garage in San Carlos.
Police said the bikes were reported stolen last Saturday morning, when a
resident in the 1900 block of Cedar Street told authorities that he left his
garage door open accidentally and that someone had taken the bikes
overnight. He had closed the garage but didn't notice that when the door
came down it hit a chair and went back up, said police Sgt. Rich Dickerson.
Dickerson said one of the bikes was a custom model made of carbon fiber
materials, worth $10,000. The other bike is valued at $5,000. Also taken was
$180 worth of alcohol.
Police arrested Matthew Storm, 18, of San Jose, and two 15-year-old Redwood
City boys on suspicion of burglary, criminal conspiracy and possession of
stolen property.
"Two of them went into the garage and one was the lookout," Dickerson said.
"They were driving around looking for bikes (to steal)."
After discovering the theft, the owner decided to check Craigslist -- and
spotted his stolen bicycles up for sale.
Dickerson posed as a potential buyer and arranged a meeting at the Caltrain
station in San Carlos to buy the bikes.
"There were several e-mails back and forth in which I asked questions like
anybody would," Dickerson said. "They appeared to be nervous. They didn't
give me a phone number and they told me where to meet them."
Dickerson said several plainclothes officers and detectives were waiting to
arrest Storm when the two met. Storm then led police to the other two
suspects.
"It's real common," Dickerson said of stolen items being posted on
Craigslist. "Our officers will tell people to keep an eye on Craigslist and
eBay."
A Craigslist ad and some undercover detective work helped police nab three
suspected burglars Tuesday who are accused of stealing two bikes worth a
total of $15,000 from a garage in San Carlos.
Police said the bikes were reported stolen last Saturday morning, when a
resident in the 1900 block of Cedar Street told authorities that he left his
garage door open accidentally and that someone had taken the bikes
overnight. He had closed the garage but didn't notice that when the door
came down it hit a chair and went back up, said police Sgt. Rich Dickerson.
Dickerson said one of the bikes was a custom model made of carbon fiber
materials, worth $10,000. The other bike is valued at $5,000. Also taken was
$180 worth of alcohol.
Police arrested Matthew Storm, 18, of San Jose, and two 15-year-old Redwood
City boys on suspicion of burglary, criminal conspiracy and possession of
stolen property.
"Two of them went into the garage and one was the lookout," Dickerson said.
"They were driving around looking for bikes (to steal)."
After discovering the theft, the owner decided to check Craigslist -- and
spotted his stolen bicycles up for sale.
Dickerson posed as a potential buyer and arranged a meeting at the Caltrain
station in San Carlos to buy the bikes.
"There were several e-mails back and forth in which I asked questions like
anybody would," Dickerson said. "They appeared to be nervous. They didn't
give me a phone number and they told me where to meet them."
Dickerson said several plainclothes officers and detectives were waiting to
arrest Storm when the two met. Storm then led police to the other two
suspects.
"It's real common," Dickerson said of stolen items being posted on
Craigslist. "Our officers will tell people to keep an eye on Craigslist and
eBay."