Owner Helps Officer Catch Bicycle Thief
A man who stole an unlocked bicycle valued at $2,000 was captured minutes later when the bike’s owner chased him and then flagged down a passing officer, police said.
About 10:15 a.m. Friday, Ventura resident Robert Barradas was leaving a supermarket in the Mission Plaza shopping center at 115 W. Main St. when he saw a man riding off on the bike that had been on his car rack, officers said.
Barradas pursued him but backed off when the thief stopped, pulled out a screwdriver, and threatened to stab him, officers said.
When the man abandoned the bike, Barradas hailed a patrolling officer, who arrested the thief.
The man gave police an alias so officers were working Friday night to establish his identity.
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