North Van owner tracks stolen bike with GPS locator tag

The owner of a bike stolen in North Vancouver used a GPS locator tag to lead him – and police – to his missing ride and the chief suspects.

According to North Vancouver RCMP, the owner of the bike – which had been stolen earlier Nov. 5 from an underground parkade – used the locator tags on his bike to track it to an underground parkade in the 100 block of Esplanade West in North Vancouver.

The owner of the bike then went to the parkade and waited for police to arrive.

When officers got there, they found two men with several bikes in the back of a vehicle, said Const. Mansoor Sahek, spokesman for the North Vancouver RCMP.

Meanwhile, the owner of the missing bike identified one of the bikes as his.

When police tried to arrest the suspects, one of them ran away and a foot chase followed. The suspect was arrested a short distance away.

The two suspects, both of no fixed address, are described as “known to police.”

As a result of the investigation, police also seized several other items, believed to be stolen property.

Police remind bike owners:

• If you are leaving your bike in or attached to your vehicle, lock it to your vehicle. (High-end mountain bikes are often stolen from the back of a pickup truck or vehicle in large parking areas such as malls while the owner is running a short errand.)
• Choose appropriate places to park; well-lit areas with good visibility are best.
• Do not leave your bike on or in your vehicle overnight, even in secure underground parking lots. (Secure underground parking lots are a popular stalking ground for bike thieves.)
• If you are required to store your bike in a designated area, such as a bike locker, use two different, high-quality locks and remove the seat.

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