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Maybe this is my stolen bike on CL, now what do I do?

geargrrl

Turbo Monkey
May 2, 2002
2,379
1
pnw -dry side
I've been watching CL religiously for my son's stolen haro.
An exact same bike appeared today, listed in a city that is across state lines.
I have the serial number and a police report number. Naturally, our city cops don't answer the phone on a Sunday.

We went ahead and made a plan to see it tonight. Thoughts?
http://spokane.craigslist.org/bik/831389974.html
This is the exact same bike.
 

splat

Nam I am
Well go see it, Bring a copy ofthe police report with you , if it is the same bike ( serial Number and all ), Act like you are a buyer , test ride it , ask the right questions, finally tell him you will take it , ask him where the closest ATM is , and tell him you are going there to get cash . then go to the local police station , Show them the police report , and tell them what you just found.


Edit : and print out a copy od the CL ad.

oh and to get alook atthe serial number with out arising too much suspicion tell him you are inspecting for Damage/Rust.
 
Last edited:

ire

Turbo Monkey
Aug 6, 2007
6,196
4
I would pack a bat in the trunk, go see the bike, confirm it is yours and then beat the person's a** with said bat
 

daisycutter

Turbo Monkey
Apr 8, 2006
1,651
124
New York City
That is a stock haro so there is a very good chance that is not the bike. But it is worth a look. I got my dh bike stolen and got it back by poseing as a buyer after seeing it listed in Pinkbike.
 

DirtMcGirk

<b>WAY</b> Dumber than N8 (to the power of ten alm
Feb 21, 2008
6,379
1
Oz
What, you guys don't believe in using a copy of the local yellow pages? I can beat a confession out of a thief with that, no marks, and it hurts like a SOB when in the right hands.

I'm leaving Washington for the winter months. Let me know if you want some back up down there, I don't mind cracking some skulls if its your bike.
 

[tHe] Saint

Monkey
Mar 24, 2006
146
0
Spokane, WA
go look at it, ride down the street, flip it over and check the serial number. If its your bike just ride off with it and don't give it back. Its your bike, you can take it. Then you call the police and tell them what you did, meet with an officer show them the police report and the officer will go back and give the person a petty theft ticket (since the bikes is worth under $1000). The person will probably get 2 days in jail and a fine. And if there is any damage to the bike make sure you report it so you can get reimbursed.
 

JohnE

filthy rascist
May 13, 2005
13,430
1,949
Front Range, dude...
Well go see it, Bring a copy ofthe police report with you , if it is the same bike ( serial Number and all ), Act like you are a buyer , test ride it , ask the right questions, finally tell him you will take it , ask him where the closest ATM is , and tell him you are going there to get cash . then go to the local police station , Show them the police report , and tell them what you just found.


Edit : and print out a copy od the CL ad.

oh and to get alook atthe serial number with out arising too much suspicion tell him you are inspecting for Damage/Rust.
What he said...
 

aeffertz

Monkey
Jun 12, 2008
441
0
Ladysmith, WI
Park your car a few blocks away, walk to his house, ask to take it for a test ride, then just ride it to your getaway vehicle. Great Success!
 

Austin Bike

Turbo Monkey
Jan 26, 2003
1,558
0
Duh, Austin
Splat had it right.

Don't use violence. Beating him with a bat is a bigger crime than stealing a bike and will land you in jail as he skates away free.
 

ultraNoob

Yoshinoya Destroyer
Jan 20, 2007
4,504
1
Hills of Paradise
Two words, "Bring Backup". If it is your bike, don't give it back, but make sure that you have friends next to you (or near by) to help ya out. From my experience, most petty thieves will back up and run when faced with 2:1 or 3:1 odds. It's a good thing you have his name and number.
 

[tHe] Saint

Monkey
Mar 24, 2006
146
0
Spokane, WA
yeah I wanna know how this went.... actually I should have went with you, I was in CDA today and would have met up with you to go over just to give you a little back up.
 

$tinkle

Expert on blowing
Feb 12, 2003
14,591
6
iirc, the SN would be issued, well, serially. that is, all you need do is memorize the last 3 or 4 of yours & it will in all likelihood be a match. might as well keep the stressful parts of this confrontation manageable.

another suggestion: if it's not too big a pita, take 3 cars & swarm in, sabotage style
 

geargrrl

Turbo Monkey
May 2, 2002
2,379
1
pnw -dry side
Lots of big monkeys with bats backing me up, that's a good feeling.

Update. When we made the police report, I had misplaced the sales receipt and called the shop that we purchased it at for the SN. Well, I found the receipt last night in the spare parts bin, not my files! The SN the shop gave me, that's on the police report, does not match what is on the receipt. So i have to get that fixed and get a copy of the report before I do anything else.

Today's plan is call crime check first thing, get the SN thing straightened out, THEN go to CDA this afternoon. I did ask about a current photo but naturally the guy said his camera wasn't working.

I'm not holding my breath that it is my son's bike, but it's probably worth the drive to take a look.

gg
 

brungeman

I give a shirt
Jan 17, 2006
5,170
0
da Burgh
well, you now have 2 bikes worth of serial numbers that you can claim as your bike! Double your chances!

Normally I would tell you to do the sleuth thing like splat... but I am in a cranky mood so KICK HIS @$$... if it isn't your bike just tell him "that beat down was for having the same bike as the one that was stolen!"
 

DirtMcGirk

<b>WAY</b> Dumber than N8 (to the power of ten alm
Feb 21, 2008
6,379
1
Oz
Let me know. I am in a foul mood with the wife deploying, so being surly might bring me some release.
 

geargrrl

Turbo Monkey
May 2, 2002
2,379
1
pnw -dry side
nothing like a two hour runaround on the phone with city cops and the sheriff to deal with potentially stolen property across state lines.

Called the seller back, he tells me he's holding it for another buyer now so I'd have to come see if after this other guy if it doesn't sell. So I took a risk and told him why I wanted to see the bike. He called me as soon as he got home from work with the serial number off the bike ( supposed) which doesn't match.
End of story I guess unless he's full of sh*t, which is always a possibility. We (mr. gg and I) have kicked around whether we want to take a 45 minute drive to go and just LOOK at the thing - and I just dunno. One sense tells me that if the guy was a creep and a loser he would not have called me with that information: that seems like something "nice" people would do ( so maybe I'm naive, haha) and the other is how much more time do I want to spend on this.:rant: It was a $500 bike, not a 5K bike.

one other odd bit. One of the cops I talked to did a search on CL by the guys' phone number to see what else he might have sold - not much, a few deraillers last spring and that was it. There's no history of selling bikes or other stuff.

<sigh>
 

pigboy

in a galaxy far, far away
<snip>

and the other is how much more time do I want to spend on this.:rant: It was a $500 bike, not a 5K bike.

one other odd bit. One of the cops I talked to did a search on CL by the guys' phone number to see what else he might have sold - not much, a few deraillers last spring and that was it. There's no history of selling bikes or other stuff.

<sigh>
obviously the next bike you buy your child should cost enough so that you can justify crossing state lines with a gang of angry, bat wielding ridemonkeys.

frustrating to hear that your lead seems to have been a blind alley.... :banghead:
 

Damo

Short One Marshmallow
Sep 7, 2006
4,603
27
French Alps
It's a stock off-the-shelf bike. Chances are you'll see them everywhere and wonder if that one was yours. Go and see it. A 45 minute drive is nothing and could be cool fun.

When you get there, be honest with him about why you are looking at it. If he's legit, he'll understand. If he's not, then you know where he lives.

Forget the bullsht about taking a bat. It's 500 bucks for christs sake. Bats are for 10000 plus.