Police searching for suspect in theft of $6,300 bike

By Andy Nystrom • September 12, 2017 9:30 am
Pictured via an Element Cycles store video is a bike-theft suspect police are searching for. Courtesy of Washington’s Most Wanted
Pictured via an Element Cycles store video is a bike-theft suspect police are searching for. Courtesy of Washington’s Most Wanted

After test riding a few bikes during a Redmond shop’s busy sale on Sept. 2, a male suspect stole a $6,300 bike, according to the Redmond Police Department (RPD).

The theft occurred at about 5:45 p.m. at Element Cycles on 160th Avenue Northeast. The stolen bike is a BMC Team Machine SLR 01 with Ultegra electronic shifting (Di2).

According to Washington’s Most Wanted, store clerks were so busy dealing with a massive amount of customers that they forgot to get the suspect’s ID and credit card as security. Element personnel has been searching different buy-sell apps and websites for the bike.

“We’re hoping tips are gonna start pouring in,” said Element general manager Lorraine Wright, noting that Q13 FOX News ran a piece on the theft on Monday night. RPD public information officer Andrea Wolf-Buck said they hadn’t been informed of any tips as of Tuesday morning.

Police describe the suspect as white, with some facial hair, an athletic build and wearing a V-neck white T-shirt, dark skinny pants and white shoes. Police said he was with a thin blonde-haired woman in khaki shorts and a light colored T-shirt who was driving a silver four-door Lexus.

Wright said a theft is “definitely not gonna happen again. That was pretty brazen,” adding that she’s hammered it into her employees to always ask a customer for ID and a credit card before they test ride bikes. Wright noted that employees have possibly prevented bike thefts before when customers left the store before test riding because they didn’t have ID and a credit card.

After 15 minutes had passed and the suspect didn’t return with the bike on Sept. 2, employees and Wright realized what happened. “By then, it was too late,” Wright said of trying to track down the suspect.

Wright noted that customers have stolen small items before, but never something near this expensive.

“We’re pretty well-staffed with good customer service. That’s your best defense against shoplifting,” Wright said of a usual smooth-running day at the shop.

A store video, which is too blurry to pinpoint the license plate number, is in the hands of crime analysts.

Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound is offering a cash reward of up to $1,000 to anyone who can help identify and locate the suspect, the woman or her vehicle. Call 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or use the P3 Tips phone app to submit the information anonymously or go to www.p3tips.com.