Manitoba

Vintage bicycle stolen 16 years ago among 17 found in Winnipeg storage locker

A vintage bike lost for 16 years after being stolen during a break-in was among 17 found by Winnipeg police during a recent investigation into bicycle thefts in the city.

Police reunited 5 registered bikes with owners, including senior, 13-year-old boy; 51-year-old arrested

Sixteen years after this bike was stolen in Winnipeg, it has been returned to the owner, a woman now in her 70s. (Submitted by Winnipeg Police Service)

A vintage bike lost for 16 years after being stolen during a break-in was among 17 found by Winnipeg police during a recent investigation into bicycle thefts in the city.

The bike has now been reunited with its owner, a woman now in her 70s, because it was on the city's bicycle registry, police spokesperson Const. Dani McKinnon said Friday.

"It was stolen back in 2005 during a garage break-in at her house. She had hung on to the original serial number and when the bike registry came to fruition — a number of years after her bike was stolen — she registered her bike and it was returned to her some 16 years later," McKinnon said.

"I think this is a really unique story."

Police launched the investigation after numerous reports of stolen bicycles along a southern section of Pembina Highway between April 2020 and early November 2021.

Police say 17 bikes, seen here in the garage at the city police headquarters, were found in a storage locker in south Winnipeg. (Submitted by Winnipeg Police Service)

The investigation, with tips from the public, led officers to a storage facility on Hervo Street, near Chevrier Boulevard. They went into the locker on Nov. 16 and found the bikes, many of which had high-end retail value, McKinnon said.

Five were returned to the original owners because they were registered with the city. Anyone who thinks their bike may be among those recovered and can identify it is asked to call investigators at 204-986-2878.

A 51-year-old man was arrested Nov. 23 in connection with the thefts.

Another of the registered bikes belonged to a 13-year-old boy. To get the bike in the first place, he struck a deal with his parents to work and pay half of the $1,000 cost, McKinnon said.

It wasn't long after he had made his share and bought the bike that it was stolen, while locked up on school property.

"So he was very upset. Thankfully, they had placed it on the registry and it happened to be one of the bikes that was recovered in this locker," McKinnon said.

"So it was returned to him in good working order.… [He] and his parents were quite happy."

Bicycles can be registered with the city online. Recovered bicycles that are unregistered and unclaimed end up going to the annual police auction.

With files from Meaghan Ketcheson