Craigslist Ad Leads To Cache Of Bikes Stolen From BART Passengers
BERKELEY (KCBS) - A Craigslist posting helped lead police to a cache of bikes and parts officers believe were stolen from Bay Area Rapid Transit passengers.
A man whose San Francisco home was recently burglarized recognized his stolen bicycle posted for sale on Craigslist and contacted the seller to arrange a meeting. He then alerted police.
When the meeting took place at Ashby Station last Sunday, BART officers swooped in to arrest 57-year-old Marque Moore and later conducted a probation search of his Richmond home.
"That's when we ended up discovering more bicycles that we do believe are stolen, and moreover, 100 bicycle parts," said Officer Ira Jenkins, spokeswoman for the BART Police Department.
KCBS' Anna Duckworth Reports:
Berkeley BART Sting Snares Suspected Bicycle Thief, Uncovers Many Stolen Bikes
BART has posted pictures of the 10 bicycles and recovered bike parts on its website so victims can identify their stolen property.
Besides the bike stolen in the San Francisco burglary back in November, police also recovered one stolen from Ashby Station last week.
Moore now faces two counts of possession of stolen property, one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and a probation violation.
If more victims come forward to reclaim their bikes, Jenkins said, "perhaps we can get more charges brought against this person."
BART police ramped up efforts to catch bicycle thieves back in April after the number of reported bicycle thefts throughout the transit system rose sharply.
In 2010, there were just 340 bike thefts, a figure that climbed to 507 in 2011. Apparently even more victims came forward after the enforcement campaign was announced. BART police recorded 811 bike thefts in 2012.
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