Police say a local bicycle business was hit hard by thieves during Super Bowl weekend and they’re still searching for tips that could lead to an arrest.
More than 50 bikes were taken from Cambria Bicycle Outfitters. They weren’t just any regular bikes though; they were high-end bicycles with price tags close to $5 thousand.
“Nobody could prepare for something like this. This is like Ocean’s 14, it’s crazy,” said Clay Akey, CEO of Cambria Bicycle Outfitters.
Police believe the theft was organized crime.
“They walked past less expensive bikes and knew what they were looking for,” said Commander Caleb Davis with Paso Robles Police Department.
Commander Davis says thieves cut a hole in the Paso Robles warehouse, making it past security systems. Akey says they walked away with six-figures worth in merchandise.
“They had to know that they had 15 to 20 minutes and they had to have multiple people. They had to have a trailer, a big rig, something. We don’t know,” Akey added.
Some bicycle boxes were found on Neal Springs Road in Paso Robles, but police don’t have much more than that. There aren’t many cameras in that particular area. That has changed since Akey says they’re already upping security.
Top brands that were taken include Santa Cruz, Intense, Juliana, and Niner. But you may not see them for resale on Craigslist. Police think thieves may have bigger plans for the bikes.
“Bikes are more difficult to get rid of the higher end they are because they are very serialized at that point,” said Commander Davis. “A bike like these is serialized from the wheels up to the frame.”
