A Whistler man has been reunited with his prized stolen steed after setting up a sting operation for West Vancouver police.
The man reported his $9,000 Rocky Mountain ebike stolen in Whistler on July 14, according to West Vancouver police.
But the victim wasn’t content to leave it at that, so he became his own gumshoe.
The charger for the bike’s battery can only be purchased from a licensed dealer so the victim began calling up local bike shops to see if anyone had inquired about purchasing a new charger, said Const. Kevin Goodmurphy, West Vancouver police spokesman.
Eventually, he got a name and started collecting corroborating evidence.
“It appears as though he got lucky,” Goodmurphy said.
Then, on Sunday, he arranged to meet with the suspect in the parking lot of Park Royal to “buy” back his own bike. All he had to do then was inform West Van police, who had a plainclothes officer available to come make the arrest.
“In this case, he did a lot more work than is, in my mind, typical of these types of situations,” Goodmurphy said.
“We do our best to support people in these situations who have located what they believe to be their property online for sale.”
The suspect, a 38-year-old Vancouver man, has been released. Police are recommending the Crown lay charges.
The suspect is known to police, Goodmurphy said.
When it comes to keeping your bike where it belongs, Goodmurphy’s advice: Don’t skimp on the lock.
The West Vancouver Police Department is also a member of Project 529 – a database where people can register their bikes so they are easier to track down and return to their rightful owner if they are recovered as stolen property.
