I found my son's STOLEN bike!
12-12-18, 07:36 AM
#26
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Please, no recommending rash behavior or violence.
To the OP, hope all goes well.
To the OP, hope all goes well.
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Keep the chain tight!
12-12-18, 07:40 AM
#27
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If you do anything rash, there is a FAR greater likelihood that it will come back on you and you'll be the one facing criminal charges.
It's not fair. But it's the way it'll happen. Especially in California.
Any attempt to take the bike by stealth or by force is technically stealing BY YOU.
I'm not saying I'd judge you morally for doing it. Heck I'm on your side....morally. But legally you're putting yourself in legal danger by trying to do anything yourself here.
Are you POSITIVE it's the same bike? I mean...what thief changes handlebars?
It's not fair. But it's the way it'll happen. Especially in California.
Any attempt to take the bike by stealth or by force is technically stealing BY YOU.
I'm not saying I'd judge you morally for doing it. Heck I'm on your side....morally. But legally you're putting yourself in legal danger by trying to do anything yourself here.
Are you POSITIVE it's the same bike? I mean...what thief changes handlebars?
12-12-18, 07:55 AM
#28
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No way will I ever take matters into my own hands.
Trust me, I built this bike. They kept the stickers from the shop I bought it from ... which is a bike shop thats 2 hours away...they're that dumb.
BUT i will never come in contact with these people.
Trust me, I built this bike. They kept the stickers from the shop I bought it from ... which is a bike shop thats 2 hours away...they're that dumb.
BUT i will never come in contact with these people.
12-12-18, 08:00 AM
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After you've filed your stolen bike report, the best bet is to arrange with the seller to meet up, and arrange with the police to be there with you. Show the police the record of your serial number, and both you and the police can verify that it's your bike. The police can then simply inform the seller that you're recovering your stolen bike. You take the bike home. End of story.
I've found that the police are more than happy to show up to assist in resolving disputes, than they are in doing the work themselves to recover stolen property. This way, there's no need to involve district attorneys, or go through the legal system process. It saves everyone a bunch of trouble.
I've found that the police are more than happy to show up to assist in resolving disputes, than they are in doing the work themselves to recover stolen property. This way, there's no need to involve district attorneys, or go through the legal system process. It saves everyone a bunch of trouble.
As to the change in your bike's looks. The original thief, whoever that is, probably changed out items on your bike to make it harder to identify on an internet ad. Happened to the last 2 bikes stolen from me.
12-12-18, 08:03 AM
#30
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This thread would be much better with links.
12-12-18, 08:36 AM
#31
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Methinks the original person who stole it probably sold the good parts and replaced it with the old and given to the kid. The guy is an "ex" for a reason.
12-12-18, 08:46 AM
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After you've filed your stolen bike report, the best bet is to arrange with the seller to meet up, and arrange with the police to be there with you. Show the police the record of your serial number, and both you and the police can verify that it's your bike. The police can then simply inform the seller that you're recovering your stolen bike. You take the bike home. End of story.
Sorry, but the end of the story is that knowing a bicycle serial number is not equal to a sales receipt, nor proof of ever having legitimate ownership of the bicycle.
12-12-18, 08:48 AM
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12-12-18, 09:00 AM
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The money you spend trying to get back everything to the way they were is going to cost much more than $600. It's a loss. Best for you to move on.
12-12-18, 09:04 AM
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So heres what I'm working with:
The person that posted the bike is a Mom. Her description is that the bike was giving to her son (looks to be 5-7 years old) by her "ex".
I found her on Facebook so I have her full name and the city she lives in. Based on her photos, her family doesn't seem to have very much money.
I noticed they removed the handlebars and replaced them with some cheap rusted ones. The original bars were nice and chrome but not nicer than the other aftermarket parts i have on it. Doesn't make sense.
I haven't reported it because I thought about doing a bit of investigating myself. Ask for more photos, what year model, what parts it has, any damages. Nothing to blow my cover but just someone thats really interested. I need proof that they're the thieves. I don't think the police would do any investigating like that. I can't picture them inside an interrogation room pulling off the ol' Brendan Dassey trick (Making a Bike Thief).
The bike isn't insured.
Its been missing since August and I just found it on Offerup this Saturday. 4 months of sitting in there backyard can cause all that rust for sure.
I want justice for these a**hles. My son has autism and one of things he loves the most is shredding his bike to school every morning. I built so he can have a cool lookin bmx bike. Right now hes riding my old Kink bmx bike until i can figure this whole mess out.
Thank you guys for all your advice! Its helped me try to figure out a game plan for this situation.
I'll keep you guys posted on what happens later.
The person that posted the bike is a Mom. Her description is that the bike was giving to her son (looks to be 5-7 years old) by her "ex".
I found her on Facebook so I have her full name and the city she lives in. Based on her photos, her family doesn't seem to have very much money.
I noticed they removed the handlebars and replaced them with some cheap rusted ones. The original bars were nice and chrome but not nicer than the other aftermarket parts i have on it. Doesn't make sense.
I haven't reported it because I thought about doing a bit of investigating myself. Ask for more photos, what year model, what parts it has, any damages. Nothing to blow my cover but just someone thats really interested. I need proof that they're the thieves. I don't think the police would do any investigating like that. I can't picture them inside an interrogation room pulling off the ol' Brendan Dassey trick (Making a Bike Thief).
The bike isn't insured.
Its been missing since August and I just found it on Offerup this Saturday. 4 months of sitting in there backyard can cause all that rust for sure.
I want justice for these a**hles. My son has autism and one of things he loves the most is shredding his bike to school every morning. I built so he can have a cool lookin bmx bike. Right now hes riding my old Kink bmx bike until i can figure this whole mess out.
Thank you guys for all your advice! Its helped me try to figure out a game plan for this situation.
I'll keep you guys posted on what happens later.
At this point, I would recommend you hand everything you have over to the police and let them work on it or not. Does "mom" have other ads on CL, etc.? If it is an operation, she might be using multiple outlets.
The handlebar swap makes me think someone may have grabbed the bike because they liked the handlebars, took them off, and dumped the rest. Thieves aren't always rational about the parts they want. That could be her ex if she's telling the truth or her ex might have found the bike sans handlebars and slapped a cheap one on. You've gone about as far as you can expect tracking this down yourself (way further than most people would--great job!), the cops either will or won't be interested enough to pursue it. At a minimum, they might check out whether she has a garage full of "gifts from her ex"
Your skills still good enough to show your boy a trick or two? I really hope you get his bike back!
12-12-18, 09:33 AM
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I have a folder full of photos from 2014 to 2018 of the bike.
The bike hasn't been changed since I purchased it XMAS 2014.
Same stickers, same parts, same everything.
I have the original receipt (2 copies) showing the bike purchase and all the aftermarket parts i added on top of that to be installed.
The owner of the shop hand wrote the serial# on the receipt and on the owners manual. (I spoke him yesterday and he remembers the build)
I have screenshots printed of her post, the bike photos she uploaded and screenshot of her Facebook.
Side by side comparison of her uploaded photos and mine showing its the same bike.
The stem is whats rare. It was a limited addition stem only made in 2014. I've had so many people ask if I wanted to sell it.
I can keep going but i'm pretty confident the cops have what they need when I turn all this in to them.
12-12-18, 10:34 AM
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Grand theft went up to $950? It was $500 but that was the last time I got hit and that was 13 years ago now
12-12-18, 10:59 AM
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I have a folder full of photos from 2014 to 2018 of the bike.
The bike hasn't been changed since I purchased it XMAS 2014.
Same stickers, same parts, same everything.
I have the original receipt (2 copies) showing the bike purchase and all the aftermarket parts i added on top of that to be installed.
The owner of the shop hand wrote the serial# on the receipt and on the owners manual. (I spoke him yesterday and he remembers the build)
I have screenshots printed of her post, the bike photos she uploaded and screenshot of her Facebook.
Side by side comparison of her uploaded photos and mine showing its the same bike.
The stem is whats rare. It was a limited addition stem only made in 2014. I've had so many people ask if I wanted to sell it.
I can keep going but i'm pretty confident the cops have what they need when I turn all this in to them.
The bike hasn't been changed since I purchased it XMAS 2014.
Same stickers, same parts, same everything.
I have the original receipt (2 copies) showing the bike purchase and all the aftermarket parts i added on top of that to be installed.
The owner of the shop hand wrote the serial# on the receipt and on the owners manual. (I spoke him yesterday and he remembers the build)
I have screenshots printed of her post, the bike photos she uploaded and screenshot of her Facebook.
Side by side comparison of her uploaded photos and mine showing its the same bike.
The stem is whats rare. It was a limited addition stem only made in 2014. I've had so many people ask if I wanted to sell it.
I can keep going but i'm pretty confident the cops have what they need when I turn all this in to them.
I almost feel sorry for anyone who is stupid enough to mess with YOUR kid (OK, not really at all). You sound like you'd walk through fire for him.
Hope you two get to do some great riding together when he gets his bike back--sucks that you have to share a single bike because of some criminal jerk.
12-12-18, 11:02 AM
#42
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Just one more question because you seem to have gotten a pretty good bead on her online activity--do you have any postings where she is selling other bikes? Cops might be more interested in her if they think she's doing this a lot.
12-12-18, 11:31 AM
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Nothing out of the ordinary. Just some clothing.
12-12-18, 12:03 PM
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12-13-18, 06:06 AM
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Depends on the state law and the courts' rules. In a lot of places, a small claims case is going to require he be there to lay out the factual basis for the judgment, which likely means spending hours at the court house waiting to be heard.
12-13-18, 09:02 AM
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Your own jurisdiction may be different, but I doubt it. This is widely accepted and observed procedural rule.
12-13-18, 11:20 AM
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There’s a case here where two women bought $500 gift cards with forged money. Police believe they’re in it together so they stole $1000 and that makes it grand theft for both of them
12-13-18, 11:47 AM
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I haven't reported it because I thought about doing a bit of investigating myself. Ask for more photos, what year model, what parts it has, any damages. Nothing to blow my cover but just someone thats really interested. I need proof that they're the thieves. I don't think the police would do any investigating like that. I can't picture them inside an interrogation room pulling off the ol' Brendan Dassey trick (Making a Bike Thief).
It may already be out of the poster's possession. I bought both my Univega and Trek 520 mere hours after they were posted.
12-14-18, 04:29 AM
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I don’t about other states, but a general rule of jurisprudence, universally aplid, is that if one of the parties doesn’t show up, a default judgment is taken againt the no-show.
Your own jurisdiction may be different, but I doubt it. This is widely accepted and observed procedural rule.
If the plaintiff doesn't show, the case is just dismissed, but plaintiffs have a burden of production even if the other party defaults.I have seen judges limit the offer of proof to answering the question "do you swear everything in the complaint is true" but it is a formality that generally needs to be acknowledged.