Twin Cities Man Charged With Brazen Bike Thefts
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A 24-year-old man faces several criminal charges after investigators tied him to several brazen bicycle thefts.
The Hennepin County Attorney's office says Cody Robert Jarosz was charged Tuesday with two counts of felony theft, one count of third-degree burglary, one count of first-degree damage to property and a felony count of receiving stolen property.
The criminal complaint says Jarosz is charged with stealing bikes between May and July of 2016 in Minneapolis, Hopkins and Wayzata.
Two thefts were exactly two weeks apart from each other in May at two different Minneapolis locations of Erik's Bike Shop. The theft on May 12 at Erik's southeast Minneapolis shop was of a $1,500 Specialized Vita Elite Bicycle. The theft on May 26 at the south Minneapolis shop was of a $7,000 Specialized Turbo S bicycle.
Jarosz allegedly walked into the shops during store hours, and then walked out with the stolen bikes.
He is also accused of unsuccessfully breaking into the Gear West store in Long Lake in the early morning of June 20. Surveillance video showed a man and a woman ripping down security cameras outside of the shop before they broke the shop's front window, causing about $2,500 worth of damage.
Jarosz is also accused of breaking into Johnny Rock Bikes in Hopkins in the early morning of July 2. Investigators say he was caught on camera placing a bicycle into the trunk of a Chevrolet Impala. The store says eight bikes were stolen in the break-in, along with other items, totaling about $15,000.
Surveillance footage from the Erik's thefts and the Gear West case led investigators to Jarosz's Hopkins residence on July 7, where they saw not only the Chevrolet Malibu, but several bicycles in the driveway – one of which was positively identified by the owner of Johnny Rock Bikes.
Law enforcement executed a search warrant the same day, finding Jarosz hiding in a closet with a bag of what appeared to be methamphetamine.
Several items found in the residence matched those stolen from the shops, some of which still had price tags attached.
Jarosz's on-and-off girlfriend was also arrested in connection to the Gear West attempted break-in. She told investigators an argument between her and Jarosz led to the failed burglary. She also told them Jarosz is "obsessed" with bikes.
Jarosz faces up to about 27 years in prison if convicted of all charges. He is currently not in custody.
