My son left the house this evening for class at the local community college two (2) miles from our home. I've taught automotive classes on Saturdays at this school for twelve (12) years and my son often accompanies me. This one evening, he realizes he's left the house without his book so returns home and gets it. After leaving again, he realizes he left without his parking permit so returns home and gets it. He leaves again and realizes he has no pen so returns home and gets one. He finally leaves fully equipped for class, but on the way to school takes a wrong turn into a dead-end neighborhood. While back tracking he pulls up behind my TW which is being push started by an unknown youth.
Rewind to the morning before. I was out of town on a business trip. When my son was leaving for work he noticed my motorcycle was not parked in its usual spot. He mentioned this to his mother who immediately called me to see if I had the bike. I replied I didn't. The motorcycle had been stolen! My wife reported it to the police who informed her it would probably be stripped and sold for parts.
Fast forward. After getting lost on his way to school and tripping over my stolen MC, my son calls mom who calls nine-one-one. Son follows motorcycle. Whole family piles into chase car to drive back-up. Two miles later, local Sheriffs and Highway Patrol pull ahead of my son which is behind my motorcycle. Perpetrator stalls motorcycle, police arrest unknown youth at gun-point. Perp stated he purchased the motorcycle and attempted to prove so by presenting the registration and insurance card, both in my name which matches the theft report filed the previous day. Police asked perp if he had a key. Perp replied no. My son's best friend who was in chase vehicle pointed out the perp was wearing my motorcycle gloves. My daughter noticed perp wearing my motorcycle jacket. She felt it necessary to tell the police that was f*#@k'd up due to I'm wearing that jacket in the most recent photo of her & I fishing together. Police returned gloves, jacket, and flat repair kit. My wife felt the need to inform perp the motorcycle is very valuable due to all its modifications therefore he's going to jail for grand theft auto. She councils the perp to prepare himself to “bite pillows' and since he's eighteen (18) calling mommy isn't an option.
Final dispensation: Happy Trail hard cases – gone, but the framework is still there. Tool tubes – gone, but I didn't really like them anyways. Side view mirrors and one mirror extender – gone. Must have. Stearns seat cover – gone. Must have. Son's $200 MC jacket gone. I'm sure I'll find more damage and missing stuff when I look it over in day light tomorrow.
Perp arrested for 496d of California's penal code – receiving stolen property. I guess the cops believed his BS about purchasing the MC from some unknown person without a key.
The MC is not running due to the perp's method of hot wiring. He also busted the handle bar lock. As near as I could tell, the MC stalled due to the perp attempting to ride the motorcycle on a hot Indian Summer evening with the choke all the way on.
It is weird but fortunate. Your son is a bit scatter brained but it worked to your benefit this time. It illustrates what a convenience a cell phone is; if this had happened before we had them he would have had to confront the perp single hand-idly.
Couple of good things I can see coming out of that:
1. Got most of your stuff back. Yep, it costs money, but in the end...its just stuff. (And sure enough, I would have been mad as h#$$ if it was my stuff).
2. You've learned your son is very persistent. I would have either; given up and stayed home, at least on the second trip home to get something I forgot; or gone to class without all the things I needed!
And the perpetrator should be glad I wasn't the one following him...I'd be giving him a stern lecture...he'd be calling 911! All my kids tell me that after all of the years in the military, I have this mean look...that makes them scared. I have no idea what their talking about! Isn't this a smiley face
?
Thanks for sharing your experience and sorry for the loss and inconvenience this has caused.
that is nuts! im glad you got your bike and gear back! now you can convince your wife you need a shed to park the dub in. imagine, your very own stable all becuase some stupid kid.
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