(Ean Parsons and Jeremy Ordaz)
UPDATE: Thanks to the BFOC Community, one of the perpetrators has been identified in the comments section!
Owners of the Oak Cliff Bicycle Company, Jeremy Ordaz and Ean Parsons, foiled a recent bike theft in North Oak Cliff after two men walked into the store purporting to have a bicycle owned by their “grandfather” that they were attempting to sell. The men had called the store first and asked if they “ID’d” bikes that were brought in. “I knew something was off when we got the call, so I just told them to bring it up so we could look at it”, recalled Ean. Upon entering the shop, Jeremy and Ean instantly recognized the bike as one owned by a nine year old boy who is a regular at the store. Ean immediately took possession of the bike, while Jeremy followed the men out of the store, grabbing the following phone pics as they left:
The bike had been locked up at an elementary school playground in the King’s Highway neighborhood over a weekend which was fenced in and closed, so beyond stealing, the two may also be at fault for breaking and entering. Within the same week, a laptop and second bicycle have been reported stolen from the area, which means these two could be involved with more neighborhood thefts, so keep a lookout for them and if you know their names, addresses, or facebook/myspace profile, feel free to post in the comments.
(9 Year Old, Asher, with his bike…a Christmas present from 2009)
Kudos to Jeremy and Ean for stopping a couple of would-be thieves. This is another example of why we should all support our local bike shops (or any local business)…they know the community personally, they act as an extra pair of “eyes on the street” that keep the community safe, they’re passionate about their products and services, and beyond a simple financial reason…they care. It’s something you don’t find in a big box retailer or chain, and in fact, in communities that only have the latter, there’s a void of character and/or personal connections with a place.
So please, shop local this Christmas…and if you need a bike, you know where to go!
Bike Friendly Oak Cliff 
Way to go.
good job guys!!
This is very cool and hat’s off to the guys at OCBC. As far as crime trivia goes a woman was assaulted on the Katy Trail years (and years) ago. It was the RBM in Richardson that spotted the perp in their store and tipped off the police. Bike shops and crime fighting, a natural combination!
Chris
Look! Over there! We’re saved! It’s BICYCLE REPAIRMAN!
“…and if you need a bike, you know where to go!”
Uh, yeah. The 2 guys pictured. The one with the skullcap and the guy hiding his face. They have another bike and a laptop for sale cheap…
Really, great job guys (also, I LOVE your vintage logo). Not only didn’t these thieves profit from their crime, they we’re embarrassed and a young boy gets a bike for Christmas 2 years in a row.
That’s an awfully nice and expensive looking bike Asher has there, I’m sure he’s smiling just as much as pictured now. When I was 9, I had to chain my bike. Not to keep it from being stolen, but to keep people from throwing it away. It was a ratty, well-used, and well-loved $6 dirt bike and worth every penny…
This is freakin’ awesome! GREAT job, guys! I wish I knew those thugs – maybe they’re they ones that stole our TV two months ago. Though, I guess I owe them a slight shout-out b/c I’m so happy that thing is gone!
Seriously, thanks to Jeremy & Ean, and thanks to BFOC for posting these pics. Hopefully someone reading this knows them. -Carrie
Great job guys! Keep it up! Reg your bikes for free and list your stolen bikes too at bikerevolution.org
Hi everyone,
Thanks for the kind words, we were just doing what
anyone would have done.
A couple things,
Bishop Arts is as safe and inviting as it’s ever been, don’t be afraid to stop by and visit us whenever.
We also want to start a local “bike/owner” database.
Just another way to keep everyones bikes safe and in the right hands.
Thanks y’all,
Ean Parsons
Ean and Jeremy,
Y’all rock!
ha! I love this. Good on you guys.
I’d love to send you some free “death to bike thieves” stickers if you’d like some (I’m the guy who runs stolenbicycleregistry.com, hence the stickers)
Keep up the good work guys 🙂
The kid in the green sweatshirt is Michael Hoofard, he is a student at Sunset HS. Hope this is helpful.
@Dave: Please email me about your comments, “they have another bike and laptop for sale” I’m interested in hearing what you may know, if possible.
jrbraddick@gmail.com
Hello again,
@ bhance, please send us some stickers, we will totally
post them on the OCBC website.
@ Anon, thanks so much, now we’ve got a face a name and
I think a residence. exciting!
Seems like we are getting more theft protection from the OCBC than the Dallas Police who use to be housed in OCBC’s storefront. Way to go guys.
@ Jonathan Braddick – All I know is what I READ in the article, “Within the same week, a laptop and second bicycle have been reported stolen from the area, which means these two could be involved with more neighborhood thefts,” which is where I got my comment. I thought my humor was obvious.
@Dave: My mistake. Apparently, I overlooked that statement. However, since you don’t know specifics about that crime, keep it off a blog post until you have concrete information to share with everyone, instead of accusations.
Hi
Is there a way to mark my bike in case of theft? I’m new to riding!
Thanks
W
Your bike should already have a unique Serial Number, usually engraved under the bottom bracket. (Flip the bike over.) At the very least, you should record this and keep it in a safe place.
You can also preregister your bike in a database such as: http://www.nationalbikeregistry.com/
Thanks Stuart!
Hey all, fitting article…my bike just got stolen in Dallas tonight around the Greenville area. It is a woman’s Kuwahara hybrid. It was black, had a silver bell, a small green LED light on the handle bars and a little pouch behind the seat. If anyone sees it or comes into a store looking to sell, I’d appreciate a heads up.
Thanks!!!!
wow great story and you guys seem to care about your customers.
Im in Rockwall and I wish I could say the same about my LBS. I took my bike there and had some work done. I had to go back for some follow up work and had a disagreement with the tech. Whatever it happens I didn’t appreciate it so I wrote a complaint. Typical? I don’t know but it doesn’t matter but here is how the owner handles my complaint.
Here is my email to them
I’d first like to thank the guy that helped me with my bike today.(the white frankenstein bike) It only took a fews mins to fix things and I appreciate it.
The other guy. Man you seem to be a nice guy but I don’t think I’ve ever been crapped on so hard by anyone. I told you there has to be a mistake. I haven’t wrenched on the cables.
I think now looking back all that could have been was the handle bars when I took them loose and let them hang down I must have turned or twisted it 360. I believed you but you didn’t believe me and wanted to start charging me for @#$#. There wasn’t any thing to adjust. You were just being a jerk about it. What did it take the other guy 3 mins to fix everything?
Like I told you, you really @#$# me off and it was totally uncalled for.
Big thanks again to the other guy but I can assure you, when I buy my first nice bike it won’t be at Rockwall cycling.
Here is the owners reply
Thank you for your feedback. Please allow me to be blunt. After speaking with my staff, I have no choice but to conclude that your complaint is unfounded. Seriously, if the biggest instance of being “crapped on” in your entire life is what you relayed below, you have lived a gloriously charmed life and should be exceedingly grateful for such a charmed life. Honestly, you should bow to your knees and give praise to God for such a blessed life and move on down the road that your biggest instance of being”crapped on” is that the staff of our local bike shop suggested that your cables were tangled by your own handiwork. Good gravy…get a grip dude! And, honestly, your threat of purchasing your mythical new bike elsewhere is, quite frankly, a blessing to me. Actually, we thank you for your threat of purchasing your putative future new bike elsewhere…because if you purchased it from us we may actually feel some obligation to ride said bike with you, and given your assertions via email I have absolutely no desire to ride a bike with you. Candidly, I opened this shop in 2008 to help promote wellness and fitness through cycling in Rockwall and to save local residents time and money by avoiding a drive to Dallas for bike service. Your comments indicate that your personal agenda is not aligned with our mission. If you are somehow able to get a grip on reality, let me know. Otherwise, good day and good luck, but please don’t detract from our mission with your irrational dilussions. And the next time you mess up your bike when you play around with the cables and components, take it somewhere else please, instead of attempting to blame my staff for pointing the obvious.
I came across this website through a friend. I have learned so many things just from reading the comment section! I moved back to Oak Cliff a few months ago and when I did, my brand new bike got stolen. I figured it was a lesson learned (keep it inside the house instead of locked outside). I’m now looking to get a new bike and will definitely register it and take better care of my new bike.
Kudos to the owners of OCBC for foiling the theft!