KAPOLEI (HawaiiNewsNow) – Electric bicycles, generally referred to as e-bikes, are rising in reputation as the value of gasoline soars.
But they’re additionally changing into widespread amongst thieves, who seem like extra organized in getting what they need.
E-Bike Hawaii’s Kapolei location has been damaged into 4 instances in the 2 years because it opened. But the final two instances truly occurred in the final two weeks alone.
Surveillance video reveals a break-in that occurred on April 27. Two males are seen pulling up in a truck, after which use massive rotary saws to chop by a metal door in the back of the store.
The two are capable of lower a gap massive sufficient to squeeze by. They then make off rapidly with 4 e-bikes.
“They stole vehicles very similar to this. These are the off-road electric dirt bikes. They are all the craze right now in Hawaii,” stated e-Bike Hawaii’s Jay Bitar.
Each of the bikes retail for 5 to 6 thousand {dollars} or mroe.
“They knew exactly what they wanted because that’s exactly what they went for,” Bitar stated.
They’re an attractive goal.
“These e-bikes, they’re definitely gaining in popularity and a lot of people are wanting them, and these criminals know — they know that they’ll get a nice chunk of change on the black market if they know where to sell these,’ said Sgt. Chris Kim of Crimestoppers Honolulu.
The break-in is similar to one that took place last December, when thieves rammed the back of a pickup truck to get into Segway of Hawaii, also making off with four bikes.
It’s a type of crime that’s on Crimestoppers Honolulu’s radar.
“We’re actually seeing that they seem to be a lot more orchestrated, they’re definitely working in teams,” stated Kim. “It appears they’re planning these things out.”
E-Bikes Hawaii acquired hit once more early Friday morning, as thieves broke by the entrance door.
“Most of our items are put into our warehouse section, so they couldn’t grab much this time, other than doing thousands of dollars worth of damage here and stealing whatever helmets they could grab,” stated Bitar.
Bitar stated he was advised that the truck used in the heist was stolen, together with the saws.
He’s now spending an additional 30 to 45 minutes at closing time in an effort to make it loads tougher to interrupt in.
“We’re ‘zombie-proofing,’” stated Bitar. “At the end of the evening we’re going to back this (forklift) up. We’re almost preparing for war. That’s how it is now, the way it’s happening.”
Bitar’s close-of-business ritual now consists of stacking up heavy wood pallets and parking the corporate truck as shut as he can to the metal door to dam it from the skin.
He then backs up the forklift to the door to dam it from the within.
Police are nonetheless in search of the suspects.
“People are now coming in an taking what they want,” stated a pissed off Bitar. “Almost every week it feels like everyone’s getting hit and there’s no consequences for their actions.”
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