Bike Thieves Caught!
Just got back from the lakefront. Biked to Wilson and the path, ran 4 miles and was coming back and found an unmarked poice car, a patrol wagon, and six guys against the car. My front wheel was off but I was able to put it back on. Not quick release btw.
Turns out these guys had stolen a seat and tire from somebody's bike in front of Chava coffee (Leland/Wilson) right while the owner was in there She saw them, gave chase, called the cops, and the cops found the guys at the lakefront. They brought the owner by and kept her in the cop car to ID them.
Her wheel was on one of their beater bikes and they were carrying her seat. So what they do is smart..they bike around and find hiqh quality bikes and then swap out the wheels to use on their beater bikes until they sell the wheel. They were on mountain bikes so it looked strange with a fat mountain tire bike on the back and a road tire on the front (nice Shimano!). My guess they would have swapped the seats too if they had the time. Mine is a hybrid with a comfort seat which they may not have been interested in.
The cops searched them and found an Allen wrench and several small knives. They said they couldn't charge them for my wheel theft because they didn't see them steal my tire (the boys said my tire was just sitting there!). My bike frame on a kryptonite and the locked tire were untouched. I lock the back tire because I have enclosed gears that would be stolen if the rear tire was taken.
The cops kept saying that because they were juvies they will just get a slap on the wrist.
I have been running by the lake for 10 years....never a problem with my bike though I never leave it in the middle of a weekday. Now I see I'll need to lock my second tire everywhere. At my health club in Andersonville - LSAC - nobody locks both tires - but I'm going to start doing it.
I've always wondered who steals things like tires and seats. These guys were obviously organized...with an Allen wrench and on bikes. Shocked there were six of them. They were truly diverse...Hispanic, black, and South Asian from their looks. Looked about 17. None large or looked strong...would definitely have challenged them if I arrived while they were in the act.
The punk who had the Allen wrench and a knife was named Leonardo Chardo. They cuffed him and one other guy.
And no, I don't care if he is only 17; he is still a thief. I told them all they were thieves and that felt good. They seemed really humiliated up against the squad car..at least there for 25 minutes while I was there. Cops did a very nice job..thought didn't seem interested in seeing us going to court. I thanked them profusely.
So now even when I run or go out to the store I need to carry a second lock. What a pain!
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Tricolor on
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I've been chaining both wheels since I started biking into town regularly seven years ago. Just get a cable or something.
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Permalink Reply by Josh L. on
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It's easy to take a chain when I go to work or shopping as I have my pannier. But when I run at the lake - which is about every day - wrapping up a cable properly is a pain.
I have a second u lock - a lousy lightweight Bell Lock - that is easy to slide on my rack. That will deter them. And if they can cut a lock they'll be able to cut my kryptonite as well.
fwiw these guys did not have cable clippers..just an allen wrench for stealing tires/seats.
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Permalink Reply by in it to win it 8.0 mi on
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Start carrying pepper spray too...now they know what you look like...
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Ha..I'm not scared. I didn't turn them in.
I think it was opportunistic. They must have headed for the lakefront after they were seen on Clark stealing the girl's seat. Probably figured they could blend in with other bikers and cops don't go up and down the path. Then they saw my bike and it was too tempting.
Seems like a lot of work and risk for the $25 or whatever they can get for a wheel and tire. And given they were on bikes it doesn't seem they could carry many seats without it being so obvious that they were stealing.
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Permalink Reply by John C. Wilson on
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IANAL nor do I do impersonations. Naming a minor and calling him out makes me queasy. Someone else can tell you if that's actionable but why go near there when there's no need. The ethnic characterizations above are reprehensible. Two wrongs (three wrongs) do not make a right. This post should be pulled.
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Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on
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I wouldn't be surprised if they're basically the same bunch that hits Lincoln Square and points further west roughly along the Lawrence corridor frequently.
Unfortunate byproduct of the current bicycling renaissance.... I'm sure we had plenty of bicycle ganglets roaming the city doing similar things back in the seventies.
Back in the day Tim H might have taken them under his wing. Does Uptown Bikes still do any informal outreach to youth?
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Posting a name may be a little over the top, but I don't see anything particularly racist about the description.
I think you may have come to the wrong site if you're looking to get your post pulled.
John C. Wilson said:IANAL nor do I do impersonations. Naming a minor and calling him out makes me queasy. Someone else can tell you if that's actionable but why go near there when there's no need. The ethnic characterizations above are reprehensible. Two wrongs (three wrongs) do not make a right. This post should be pulled.
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First there are no characterizations of an ethnicity. I describe them as a "diverse" group and then identify what appears to be their ethnicity. It is not suggested or implied - in any way - that bike thievery is associated with any ethnicity/group. Intended to be an observation...I dont' see a lot of multiracial "gangs" in uptown so I thought it was worth pointing it out.
Second, I agree that writing his name was a bit much. Obviously I was and am still angry and as the cops wouldn't arrest him - or at least discouraged me from pursuing this was my way of venting. FWIW I saw them take the Allen wrench and a sizeable knife out of his pocket (he gave his name to the cop shortly after).
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It would be good if somebody could work with somebody like them. I can't say they seemed like career criminal types. That being said, I did a lot of stuff at their age but never stealing others' things. And with an Allen wrench in hand, this was obviously an organized effort. My guess is they have two guys doing lookout and the others steal the seat and tire. What they didn't suspect is that the bike's owner was sitting in Chava coffee watching them.
h' 1.0 said:I wouldn't be surprised if they're basically the same bunch that hits Lincoln Square and points further west roughly along the Lawrence corridor frequently.
Unfortunate byproduct of the current bicycling renaissance.... I'm sure we had plenty of bicycle ganglets roaming the city doing similar things back in the seventies.
Back in the day Tim H might have taken them under his wing. Does Uptown Bikes still do any informal outreach to youth?
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Permalink Reply by Vilda on
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Hey John C. What was done above was a term called "Description". You see that's the only way other people know what other people look like in written form. If they had been 3 white guys or 3 black guys or in this case the United Colors of Beneton it would still just be description. And as for Leonardo Chardo I'm hoping he has a record. Cause while the kids "looked embarrassed" while leaning up against the cop cars. That is usually an act. If they know what to do they are complacent as puppies while the Police are there and they turn into the garbage they are when they are free.
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Permalink Reply by yai danche on
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i wonder where they're unloading these seats and wheels. also, do a lot of people buy one wheel? i can see how easy they could get away with it, too. lots of people take their seat or wheel with them so it wouldn't look odd if they were walking away from a bike rack carrying those things.
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funny that you mention it but I wonder the same thing myself. First, I can tell you that at least these guys were smart enough to buy expensive brand name wheels/rims on my bike and the girl's. So they knew what they were doing.
No bike store will buy parts - used no less - from some guy off the street. And of all my friends who bike they buy exclusively from stores and would only buy wheels in sets. I can't imagine selling one used wheel/tire on ebay/craigslist will get you many calls.
So I am puzzled..seems a strange risk/reware strategy. Seats I'm guessing people steal for personal use. There must be some place where they sell wheels/tires......must be some fence who bundles them up in huge lots for sale. Actually I thought about asking them about it. They were all on beat up mountain bikes so had no use for wheel with thin rims.
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