A thief was caught on tape stealing Capital Bike’s beloved cargo e-bike which helps them operate the numerous active-transport initiatives around Greater Victoria.
On Tuesday, June 20th, at around 5:08 a.m. the non-profit caught the thief on a camera mounted on their office space’s storefront located at 1034 Hillside Avenue on the corner of Fifth Street.
“There was something kind of special about that bike,” said Adam Krupper, Executive Director of Capital Bike.
“We called it ‘the whale’ because it was so unruly and hard to manage, it had some great memories attached to it for us.”
“It’s hard to lose your mascot, if you know what I mean,” he added.
Krupper said the cargo bike — which cost them over $10,000 — was custom made by a company in Portland, Oregon which no longer exists anymore, making it truly, a one of a kind.
Luckily, the community has been rallying behind the non-profit and sharing the video that captured the thief all over social media, according to Krupper.
The man can be seen using a grinder to break through the first line of defense, a high-end bike lock and then he utilized a massive crescent wrench to pry the secondary lock off.
These videos show the person who stole our beloved cargo bike. Note the thief's bag of tools, the bike he's riding, and how quickly he broke through our two $200+ locks. If you see this man, his bike, or ours, please call Vic PD at 250-995-7654. See more videos on our FB or IG. pic.twitter.com/qRL4xQualf
— Capital Bike (@CapitalBikeCa) June 20, 2023
The man can be seen in the video wearing a dark jacket, a light grey hoodie with the hood drawn over his head, a dark baseball cap, blue jeans and brown boots.
His large backpack carried the tools he used to steal the cargo bike.
Although things seem bleak at the Capital Bike office, Krupper says that all hope is not lost. All day staff have been working to get the whale back by any means necessary, online and out in the community.
“This morning three staff went out to try and find the bike,” Krupper told Victoria Buzz. “Still two staff members are out riding around searching for it.”
“Tomorrow when we get into work, we’ll have to face the reality that it might be gone — I’m just being honest with you.”
Capital Bike’s stolen e-bike is emblazoned with their logo and if left out to see shouldn’t be hard to recognize.
The non-profit organization and police are asking anyone who sees the stolen bike or knows the thief to call VicPD at (250) 995-7654.
