Woman, 25, spots her stolen bike on Craigslist... and 'steals' it back after posing as a buyer

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2059615/Colorado-woman-Kathryn-Lucas-spots-stolen-bike-Craigslist-steals-back.html

A 25-year-old student who had her bike stolen turned the tables on the thief after finding it posted up for sale on Craigslist.

Kathryn Lucas from Colorado used the website to track down her stolen bike and posed as an interested buyer before stealing it back after going on a 'test-ride'.

The University of Colorado student had had her bike stolen after parking it outside a bar on October 4 according to ABC News Denver affiliate KMGH.

Detective work: Kathryn Lucas from Craigslist to track down her stolen bike and posed as an interested buyer to 'steal' it back

When she left the bar to go home, she discovered that her black Trek 1.2 road bike was missing.

After filing a police report, she began searching Craigslist to see if the thief was trying to sell the bike.

Sure enough, Miss Lucas spotted a posting with a photo of her bike after recognising her bike’s red handle-bar tape and her water bottle holder. 

She responded to the Craigslist advert, pretending to be an interested buyer and within minutes was contacted by someone calling himself 'Lance Robinson' who gave her an address.

On Sunday Miss Lucas went to the man’s apartment complex and asked if she could test ride the bike.

'I started riding it and knew it was my bike, so I just kept riding it'' Miss Lucas told KMGH.

Advert: Kathryn Lucas was able to recover her stolen bike after she found it posted up for sale on Craigslist

'I rode it to my car and then threw it it in my car and then drove away.'

Miss Lucas said she had not been planning on 'stealing' the bike back in that way, but took advantage of an opportunity and made a spur-of-the-moment decision.

'They were a lot bigger than I thought they were,' Miss Lucas said.

'I thought it’d be like a little person that stole bikes and I’d be like,‘Hey, I called the police and that’s my bike and you’re trying to sell it to me,’ but I just took it for a ride and went with it.'

Arrested: Denzel Crawford has been arrested for stealing Kathryn's bike before she tracked him down

After she had recovered her bike, Lucas called the police and gave them the thief’s address.

'Lance Robinson' turned out to be 18-year-old Denzel O’Neal Crawford, who did not have a prior police record.

Police say Crawford was arrested and confessed to stealing the bike before being released on bond.

Police also told Miss Lucas that, though her recovery mission was successful, it was not a tactic they recommend.

'They told me for future reference that I probably would not want to do that by myself, Miss Lucas added.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2059615/Colorado-woman-Kathryn-Lucas-spots-stolen-bike-Craigslist-steals-back.html#ixzz1dRj63sNf