Man sets up 'sting operation' to retrieve stolen bike
SEATTLE -- A Portland man wasn't about to give up on finding his stolen bike, so he drove all the way to Seattle to confront the man suspected of stealing it.
After his prized Fuji team bike was stolen in Portland earlier this month, Jake Gillum spent dozens of hours online trying to track it down. His hard work paid off when he found the bike for sale on a Seattle Craigslist posting.
"I was home alone and I started yelling," he said. "I scared the dog."
With help from a couple of friends and with a video camera in his hand, Gillum drove to Seattle to confront the alleged thief. Posing as a buyer, Gillum arranged a meeting with the man, who police now identify as Craig Ackerman.
"I thought I was going to throw up I was so scared," Gillum said of the meeting.
When Gillum confronted Ackerman about the theft, Ackerman took off running. As his friends called the police, Gillum chased and eventually caught Ackerman. Police were there moments later to arrest Ackerman, who's now facing a felony charge of trafficking stolen property.
"I think it's a lesson for thieves is that they need to be afraid of people like me, because they don't know who they're stealing from," Gillum said. "And a lesson for victims that they don't need to lay over and take this"
A video of the sting operation is available online.
After his prized Fuji team bike was stolen in Portland earlier this month, Jake Gillum spent dozens of hours online trying to track it down. His hard work paid off when he found the bike for sale on a Seattle Craigslist posting.
"I was home alone and I started yelling," he said. "I scared the dog."
With help from a couple of friends and with a video camera in his hand, Gillum drove to Seattle to confront the alleged thief. Posing as a buyer, Gillum arranged a meeting with the man, who police now identify as Craig Ackerman.
"I thought I was going to throw up I was so scared," Gillum said of the meeting.
When Gillum confronted Ackerman about the theft, Ackerman took off running. As his friends called the police, Gillum chased and eventually caught Ackerman. Police were there moments later to arrest Ackerman, who's now facing a felony charge of trafficking stolen property.
"I think it's a lesson for thieves is that they need to be afraid of people like me, because they don't know who they're stealing from," Gillum said. "And a lesson for victims that they don't need to lay over and take this"
A video of the sting operation is available online.
Unfortunately, in most cases this is the only way you will ever get your stolen property back. You have to be the one doing the leg work. And just like these guys did be ready to involve the police right away. They played it smart nobody got hurt and the thief got his due. I have seen this same scenario play out in a few other circumstances with different types of property and in every case the police were brought in at the right time and the result was the same. Property returned, thief in jail. Be careful if you ever decide to go this route.
Oh and Jessica (the girlfrined of the thief), you are a pretty good looking gal on the outside, but hanging out with a known criminal makes you extremely ugly on the inside. Keep it up and you will be in jail before too long yourself. Cheers!
While Craigslist is certainly a useful tool for buying and selling items, I have to wonder what the percentage of items advertised for sale are stolen. I guess the upside to that is that if your stuff is stolen, there is a good chance that you will find it on Craigslist at some point.
My car was stolen in Yakima and the engine ended up in Spokane installed in another car when somebody was caught illegally drag racing and the State Patrol impounded the car. The good news was some of my property being found but the difficult part of it all is the legal and other associated fees tied to it.Â
The girlfriend didn't even sneak back and get the thief's car out of the shopping center - so it had no driver and it got towed. Presumably University Village security called for the tow right away - before she thought it would be safe to come back to get it - that is if she had the keys to it. Anyways, nice touch!
Just wished there had bene some violence on the thief...at least a goiod kick in the nuts or something... thieves disgust me, and first one I ever catch stealing from me will get my justice taken upon them then they will be arrested... honestly stealing a bike ?... guess some poeple never grow out of that 'issue' from Jr. High!
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I just wish his video was not so fouled up with the victims expletives. The arrested persons lingo only serves to bury his sorry self further into the dino-dung. Judges don't look highly at that sort of talk, especially from plaintiffs.Â
Good for you! Cops don't do anything for stolen property so kudos for stepping up and doing your own investigation!
Gotcha your dumb arse!
Well Done! This is the news I like to read.
Excellent job!! I don't care what stuff it is. IF it belongs to me then it's hands off and if it's valuable enough I will do the same thing only I may not be as kind when I show up with friends and proper recovery equipment or bother to call the police after the fact!
Did anyone notice the irony, a guy named "craig" selling stolen merchandise on Craigslist, and got busted? Classic.
Losers. (jessica incl)
Hell yeah Jake! Great job man! That'll put that punk back in his place! I was surprised and happy when I saw this story! He really did everything he could to help put a criminal away!
wow...that was +ve approach !!
What a fool, he said over and over that he knew the bike was stolen, he deserves to go to jail for being so dumb.
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I can attest to how inept the SPD are about responding to theft crimes. They wouldn't even show up to a multiple car break-in in an apartment garage and even though there was a witness who got the thieves' license plate they wouldn't go after them. Lesson learned: don't count on the SPD for anything.
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 @RomeyRome Not to give you a hard time but I can empathize with this guy.  I'm a conservative cyclist (fun and fitness only) and a far cry from a tree hugger. My bike is valuable to me and would be worth a trip from where I live to Portland if I needed to. Most cyclist don't just buy their bikes from the local big box store for a few hundred and are done.  New road bikes cost anywhere from $1000 (mine is used and a lot less but it still cost!) for an entry level up to $7000 and more. Bikes are often custom fit for the rider or they have taken much time and money to get it set up to fit properly for optimal performance and comfort - so to steal a "cyclists" bike is to steal something unique to them. I don't know what sport or hobbies you have but a bike like most things is more than just a dollar amount depending on how much sweat equity you have in it!  And yes I've been to Portland -point well taken on "saving the world"...lol I wish the Puget Sound area was more receptive to cyclists but I'm afraid a few "reckless" cyclist who seem to think they own the road and the wackos in Seattle like Mayor McCheese do more harm than good to improve car/cyclist relations.