Palo Alto police arrested an alleged thief in Mountain View last Wednesday after he posted an ad on Craigslist for a bicycle that had been stolen in Palo Alto earlier this month, according to Palo Alto police agent Dan Ryan.
Ryan said police received a report that a bike had been stolen from a secure building in the 100 block of Alma Street on Nov. 4 and that the thief had been caught on video. Several days later, the bicycle owner told police that he had spotted his bike for sale on Craigslist, and Palo Alto police arranged to meet the seller in Mountain View on Wednesday, Nov. 11.
Upon arrival, police recognized the alleged thief from the video footage and confirmed the bike was the same that had been reported stolen.
Police arrested Paul Kenneth Jones, 33, a resident of Palo Alto, without incident. Jones was arrested on charges of petty theft with a prior offense, possession of stolen property and grand theft and was booked into the Santa Clara County Main Jail in San Jose without bail due to a probation violation.
Ryan credited good police cooperation among three Palo Alto officers -- one in plainclothes posing as the buyer and two uniformed officers in a squad car -- for the arrest.
"It was a good bit of teamwork," Ryan said.
Comments
another community
on Nov 17, 2009 at 4:23 pm
on Nov 17, 2009 at 4:23 pm
VERY impressive; nice work!
Old Mountain View
on Nov 18, 2009 at 8:58 am
on Nov 18, 2009 at 8:58 am
A lesson to all you would be bike thieves. If you're going to steal a bike nowadays its likely to carry a "Grand Theft" charge.
Also, micro tracking devices are all the rage. They can be hidden within any of the frame tubes and will lead right to your door. If you're lucky, the cops will arrest you. If you're unlucky you'll see what a tire iron feel like.