Saanich Police were able to reunite a victim of bicycle theft with her bike on Tuesday after the stolen item was spotted for sale in a Used Victoria post.
Robyn Misovic’s road bike, a Giant, was taken from her backyard on Haultain Avenue in Victoria on Sunday night. It was a rare blunder by Misovic, who left her bike unlocked in the yard as she planned to work on it.
When she came out in the morning, she realized the mistake.
“The one night in my entire life I left my bike out to do repairs, and I forgot and left it outside,” Misovic said. “I couldn’t believe it, I was totally dumbfounded.”
On Tuesday, however, her husband found an ad on Used Victoria that matched the bike.
“There was no doubt in my mind it was my bike, it had my upgraded seat and pedals,” Misovic said.
She set up a meeting to visit the seller at the 4300 block of Santa Fe Place in Gordon Head and informed VicPD, who referred her to the Saanich Police.
RELATED: Bike registry puts dent in theft
To her credit, Misovic had also registered the two-year-old bike with VicPD’s Bike Registry program, which helped when Saanich Police dispatched an officer in the area to Santa Fe. The officer came across someone riding a bike that matched the description and, with the bike registry details, they were able to make an arrest, said Saanich Police Sgt. Jereme Leslie.
“The suspect is being charged with possession of stolen property and was held in custody for outstanding [charges],” Leslie said, adding he will also be charged with breach of probation.
Saanich Police is currently considering a bike registry program of its own, Leslie said. However, the Vic PD Bike Registry program, which started two summers ago, is open to residents outside of Victoria.
“We all have access to the same database, so anyone who bikes to work in Victoria, or visits there can register their bike,” Leslie said.
It’s a relief for Misovic, who bought the bike to ride for fitness and used it in some smaller triathlons this year.
“I was just telling my husband how much I love having this bike, that I can ride out to our in-laws in Saanich instead of drive. I thought the bike was gone forever.”
