An operator of a white pickup truck seen is believed to have knowledge of a bicycle stolen on Bates Road Friday. City police ask that anyone who recognizes the truck or has knowledge of the theft t0 call the Detective Bureau at 572-6400. (Photo Courtesy WPD)
WESTFIELD – Theft of a bicycle in the city is neither a very unusual crime nor, usually, a crime which is easily solved but the exception may be a bike theft which occurred Friday evening on Bates Road – and was captured on video.
Police report that a resident called at 6:50 p.m. to report that her son’s bicycle had been stolen.
Officer Brendan Irujo responded to the complaint and reports that the resident said that one of her sons had left his brother’s bicycle near the road and a few minutes later it was stolen by the operator of a white truck.
The woman was able to know exactly what had transpired because the incident was recorded by her home security video.
Irujo reports that the video shows a boy leave the bike near the road and a short time later a white pickup truck with a wooden frame around the bed drives past slowly.
The truck turned around and came back and the video shows a man exit the truck, throw the bicycle into the bed of the truck and drive off.
Det. Sgt. Stephen K. Dickinson said Saturday that, given the video evidence, the crime is very likely to be solved by the detective he has assigned to the case.
He suggested that the culprit would be well-advised to return the bike or turn himself in before the detective tracks down the vehicle and finds who was operating it Friday evening.
