Bike owner stops possible theft of her locked bike and gets the suspect on video

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - The theft of bikes on the South Coast continues to be a priority problem for bike owners and the police. One owner recently stopped a possible theft in progress.

Her bike was outside of the Victoria Court where she worked and a suspect was prying on the lock with tools.

The owner recorded the suspect in the act, and stopped the crime from taking place.

The name of the bike owner has not been made available at this time, but a voice can be heard saying, "that's my bike."

The suspect continues to work on the lock, then runs from the parking lot and back side of the businesses in the 1200 block of State St.

The video shows the suspect with tan pants, black shoes, a black jacket, a black hat and a facemask. A portion of a beard can be seen through the mask.

The suspect runs to Victoria St. and crosses into the pathway towards the Arlington Theatre. (The video was from an Instagram post by LonetreeSB.)

Santa Barbara Police were notified and searched the area. No one was caught. This incident took place November 2.

Routinely, residents report to police and social media stories about a bike theft. The ones that particularly stand out are those that are locked, on their private property behind gates or in the garage.