JACKSON HOLE, WYO – Thanks to one deputy going above and beyond, a stolen bike is now back with its owner today.
On Tuesday July 23, Teton County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Michael Fielding was dispatched to a suspicious person call at Teton Village. A male subject was overheard saying the bike he was in possession of was “probably” stolen.
Deputies located the subject and interviewed him. He admitted buying the bike from a stranger and thinking it was probably stolen. The bike was thoroughly checked and there was no record of it being reported stolen. The subject was released.
Later that night, Deputy Fielding was looking at a local community group on Facebook and noticed a post about a bike that was stolen a few days earlier. The deputy noticed the description was the same as the bike he had seen earlier in the day. Fielding reached out to the victim and obtained a more thorough description.
The Sheriff’s Office shared the info with security at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and received a call a while later reporting the male was seen in the area. Sheriff’s deputies returned to the area and located the male, who took law enforcement to the bike.
In the end the victim did not want to prosecute, but the stolen bike was returned to the rightful owner.
Great job by Deputy Fielding with the help of JHMR security.
The incident is a good reminder to lock your bikes up with a quality lock when you can. Most bike thefts here are crimes of opportunity. Keep good records on your bikes. Photos are helpful. Record your serial number and keep a record of it. Discarded bikes are routinely found in the valley but authorities have no record as to whom they might belong to.
