(KRON) — It didn’t take long for the San Rafael Police Department to see results in a bicycle theft operation on Wednesday. Within minutes of officers securing a bait bike to a fence in downtown San Rafael, a resident cut the lock and stole the bike, authorities said.
The bait bike was locked along Lincoln Avenue when the suspected thief, identified as Melvin Enrique Delgado, 42, of San Rafael, snipped the lock and took off, according to SRPD. The bicycle was recovered and Delgado was arrested and booked into the Marin County Jail.
In October 2023, a similar operation in downtown Santa Rosa nabbed 11 suspected bike thieves over the course of three days. Police in Danville have also used bait bikes equipped with GPS trackers to catch thieves.
San Rafael authorities advise bike owners to invest in robust bike locks, park in visible areas and lock the bike to something solid. Owners should record the bicycle’s serial numbers and take photos of the bike…