If you've had your bike stolen near the Ashland Metra stop...

Today I caught a homeless man stealing my back tire and stashing it at his camp under the highway at Ashland and Bloomingdale. I confronted him asking him how long he'd been there and what had happened to my tire hoping he would just give it up. He gave me some story about how that sucks and how two bikes were just stolen from the metra stop nearby then he left pretty quickly on his bike that was obviously too nice for a homeless person to afford. I went through the same hole in the fence he came out of and found his camp with two tents and a stash of at least 6 bikes and various parts under a tarp along with my tire, which I took back. He really did a number on my brakes getting the tire off, it always amazes me how oblivious people are to crime- its a busy street and somebody must have seen him raping my bike.

If you happen to have had a bike stolen in the area perhaps this is a place to look- bring a friend or 5. I didn't take pictures or memorize any of the bikes, I wasn't sure if anyone else was there in the tents or if he would come back. been trying to call 311 but it doesn't seem to be working since the storm started. Based on my other problems with bike theft and dealing with police I doubt the cops would do anything to recover these bikes anyway. 

The homeless guy was white, fit, late 30s-40s, red/brown hair with a beard, very red skin and a cauliflower nose and pretty sharp mentally, I know he begs in the street on ashland sometimes. 

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Permalink Reply by wig [ isaac ] on June 18, 2010 at 11:44am
that sucks.............. sorry
Permalink Reply by Kringle on June 18, 2010 at 11:46am
thanks, i got my shit back tho. I just hope some of those bikes can get returned to their owners.
Permalink Reply by T.C. O'Rourke on June 18, 2010 at 11:49am
Nice work!!
Permalink Reply by Kringle on June 18, 2010 at 11:53am
I would be worried the cops would say I was trespassing getting the wheel back myself. I don't think I could have identified it from any other mountain bike wheel without being able to look at it.

H3N3 said:
Have always got a steady stream of reports from that stop, but the Ravenswood stop seems to be the one that's blowing up at the moment.

Anyways, good info, thanks. I've heard this referred to as "the bicycle chop shop" but didn't have better coordinates than "Ashland near the Highway."

FYI 311 would only transfer you to 911.
Permalink Reply by A.K.A Paul on June 18, 2010 at 1:20pm
I'm willing to bet if he/ they have a number of bikes stashed back there, they probably sell them in mass to the people who are selling them at the flea market. There's probably even a set time that they show up to buy every week.

Oh yeah, its just me but I would have called 911 immediately if I saw a pile of bikes where my tire ended up.
Permalink Reply by igz on July 15, 2010 at 7:01am
But then there's that damn burden of proof...

Not Nathan Fillion (aka Paul) said:
I'm willing to bet if he/ they have a number of bikes stashed back there, they probably sell them in mass to the people who are selling them at the flea market. There's probably even a set time that they show up to buy every week.

Oh yeah, its just me but I would have called 911 immediately if I saw a pile of bikes where my tire ended up.

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