Here’s the actual bike that was stolen.
Just getting word that a bike belonging to a friend of a friend was stolen last night from in front of the Sheraton Hotel at 7th and Hope Streets, across from Macy’s Plaza.
The bike is a black men’s Virtue roadster-style, with black tires, black seat, a rear rack and a bent back fender. It was reportedly parked next to a police cruiser when the brazen thief cut the cable lock and took of with the bike.
If you see the bike, don’t try to stop the thief yourself; call the police and let them deal with it. Then contact me so I can pass word on to the owner.
Bike theft is one of the few forms of crime on the upswing in Los Angeles, offering thieves the perfect storm of easy opportunity, high reward and low risk.
Protect yourself by using a heavy-duty U-lock any time you’re going to be away from your bike for more than a few minutes; as this case shows, most cable locks provide little protection. Record your bike’s serial number in a safe place, and keep current photos showing the way it looks now to aid in recovery.
And I strongly recommend signing up for free or low cost bicycle registration from Bike Shepherd or the National Bike Registry.
Then again, if Downtown L.A. had a bike center where riders could securely store their bikes, this theft — and countless others — might never have happened.
Model of the bike taken.
