Recent bike theft from home in West Scranton leaves owner "rattled"

I just learned that a friend of mine from Scranton, PA, Chris Hughes, had his bike stolen very recently. It's a deep blue Haro mountain bike that can be identified by a sticker from the band "The Offspring" stuck to the center cross bar. Also, the back brake was disconnected due to rubbing against the wheel rim, so be on the lookout if you see anything matching that description in West Scranton.

Stolen bikes are an unfortunate reality that many of us must face at some point in our lives. While the bike thief might see it as a way to score a free ride, or a quick way to make a few bucks, the heartbreak of losing your favorite bicycle goes beyond monetary value. However, even the pain of loss that comes with having your bike stolen off the street is nothing compared to feeling of violation when a bike is stolen from your home.

"It is worse," Chris said when I spoke with him via Facebook Messenger. "The safety and security of my home where I'm trying to raise a family was violated by someone who felt entitled to something I've owned for more than half of my life. It rattles you."

"The bike was stored in a shed in my backyard in West Scranton. I noticed it was gone Wednesday morning as I was walking my daughter to school. Something didn't look right about the shed and the way the contents sat inside. I came back after dropping her off at school and quickly realized that my bike had been taken. As frustrated as I am, I'm thankful my kids' bikes were not taken with it."

While it's likely that the bike was taken Tuesday night, anytime between September 23 and 26 is a possibility.

"It would be tough for anyone to get in and out unnoticed. My wife is home during the day, and I usually don't get to bed until 11:30 p.m. Also, my shed doors are incredibly noisy, so we should have heard it. This would have had to have been pretty well calculated, whenever it happened."

Chris then did what anyone would do, he went to the police to report it.

"Police were helpful, but I also understand that cops in Scranton are dealing with much more than my stolen bicycle. Some have struggled with their income being affected this year (if police work is their only source of income) due to Scranton's money troubles and other issues. The officer I spoke with today took down all of the details I had to offer, but I did not have a serial number to give to them."

Chris is currently looking for a picture of the bike to send me, which I'll add to this post once found. In the meantime, anyone with information on the stolen bike is urged to contact the Scranton police department at (570) 348-4134. Chris can be personally contacted at peterparker.pa@gmail.com.

Finally, just a personal, precautionary note from me to anyone reading this. Take few moments to shoot good photos of your bike and write down the serial number. (see image below for likely places where it will be imprinted on the frame.) If stolen, this information will help you to retrieve your bike from authorities if found. 

5 likely places for your bike's serial number. Source