Skip to content

Police hook suspected thief with ‘bait bike’

A suspected bike thief got a surprise when he was arrested on board a bus at Phibbs Exchange May 10. The biking bandit had allegedly used bolt cutters in broad daylight, at around 3 p.m.
Bike

A suspected bike thief got a surprise when he was arrested on board a bus at Phibbs Exchange May 10.

The biking bandit had allegedly used bolt cutters in broad daylight, at around 3 p.m., to steal a locked bait bike planted in a commercial centre by North Vancouver RCMP. The 40-year-old suspect then proceeded towards Phibbs Exchange, where he mounted the bike onto the front of the bus and hopped on.

Unbeknownst to the man, the bike was equipped with special features: a silent alarm and GPS system alerting police to the suspect’s exact location.

“So he literally boarded the bus before it left Phibbs Exchange and we arrested him right on the bus,” said North Vancouver RCMP spokesman Cpl. Richard De Jong.

Vancouver resident Casimir Lepinski faces one charge of theft under $5,000. He was released with conditions and will appear again in North Vancouver provincial court on May 25.

Lepinski was caught on a bus bound for Vancouver.

“We see a lot of the (stolen) bikes go off the North Shore and to the Downtown Eastside area where they are sold well below market value and the money is then used to buy drugs,” said De Jong.

There are bait bikes in circulation around North Vancouver. The RCMP do not disclose where they are or when they will be set up.

Cyclists can sleep easier by registering with North Van Get Your Bike Back, a bike recovery program the local RCMP launched last year. Police are encouraging every bike owner to register their ride’s serial number and other identifying details by following the link on the North Vancouver RCMP’s home page.

“We have had some successful recoveries,” said De Jong, adding there was a recent case in which a victim had his stolen bike returned the same day he inquired with RCMP about it.