Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

Officials clearing California homeless site find bunker containing 1000+ bikes

War of words as homeless community accuse police of pinning thefts on them

The discovery of more than a thousand bikes in an underground bunker in California has led police to suspect a large scale organised programme of theft.

Officials clearing a homeless encampment in Orange County discovered several bunkers that appeared to be built by amateurs, one full of more than a thousand bikes.

They were found in the tunnel system under the concrete flood control channel of the Santa Ana river.

The Orange County Register reported that one underground bunker had wood-panelled walls and a support beam, and was accessible only via a hatch camouflaged to blend in with its dirt surroundings.

A gun was also found at the location, with three spent casings.

Nearby San Francisco has such an epidemic of bike theft that one bike is now being stolen every three hours.

“There was a malicious attempt to associate this stash of bikes with the removal of the Fountain Valley encampment,” homeless advocate Mohommed Aly told the paper. .

“The Sheriff’s Department has an incentive to portray the most vulnerable members of our community as criminals. It’s difficult for people not to lose empathy when law enforcement is misrepresenting the facts.”

“A reasonable person is going to assume it’s the homeless, but we don’t have any evidence to back that up,” said Sheriff’s Lt. Jeff Puckett, adding that the investigation is ongoing.

Add new comment

18 comments

Avatar
Harmanhead | 6 years ago
1 like

 I think these guys became homeless because they bought too many bikes. I’ll be homeless soon, but the bikes are coming with me! 

Avatar
leaway2 | 6 years ago
0 likes

I suspect the local bike shop .

Avatar
frogg | 6 years ago
1 like

"Looks like ... just homeless that steal a bike every time they need to get from Point A to Point B..." 

Yeah, and the bike owners have just to walk , after all they are rich enough and have all the time for walking.

"Looks like there's maybe $50usd total value of bikes in that picture. I doubt it's a crime ring... "

Yeah, in fact i even suggest that they complain to the bike owners because their bike is not properly maintained and setup, really no value there.

 

Avatar
hdb | 6 years ago
2 likes

San Francisco and Orange County are about 600km apart so trying to connect any bike thefts in San Fran to this is a bit of a stretch.

Avatar
Leviathan | 6 years ago
2 likes

They all used to belong to Damon Albarn.

Avatar
rliu replied to Leviathan | 6 years ago
2 likes
Leviathan wrote:

They all used to belong to Damon Albarn.

Ha I enjoyed that somebody else remembers that Albarn said he never locked his bikes and used to buy about 10 a week or something stupid.

Avatar
Jamminatrix | 6 years ago
2 likes

Looks like there's maybe $50usd total value of bikes in that picture. I doubt it's a crime ring...more than likely just homeless that steal a bike every time they need to get from Point A to Point B because it's convenient, and have amassed such an inventory. A pawn shop will only offer about $10 on a beater Walmart bike...and if the seller looks homeless...pawn shops won't buy from them. Begging is more lucrative than stealing bikes for homeless.

There's a charity organization meal center near me that also offers bikes to needy for transportation. When I wrenched, I was volunteered a couple times by others to help fix up bikes. It's amazing...you spend two hours fixing up a piece of junk they own, then the every time you see them thereafter, they're on a completely different bike they "inexplicably" now possess.

Avatar
ConcordeCX replied to Jamminatrix | 6 years ago
2 likes

Jamminatrix wrote:

Looks like there's maybe $50usd total value of bikes in that picture. I doubt it's a crime ring...more than likely just homeless that steal a bike every time they need to get from Point A to Point B because it's convenient, and have amased such an inventory. There's a charity organization meal center near me that also offers bikes to needy for transportation. I've been volunteered a couple times by others to help fix up bikes. It's amazing...you spend two hours fixing up a piece of junk they own, then the every time you see them thereafter, they're on a completely different bike they "inexplicably" now possess.

perhaps they swap the now-fixed bike for a piece of junk plus something else, then get the junk fixed up for free, and the Wheel of Life turns full circle. Entrepreneurial.

Avatar
Jamminatrix replied to ConcordeCX | 6 years ago
1 like
ConcordeCX wrote:

perhaps they swap the now-fixed bike for a piece of junk plus something else, then get the junk fixed up for free, and the Wheel of Life turns full circle. Entrepreneurial.

Edited my post after you commented, but the type of fixing up is most basic stuff...cables, chains, tires/tubes. Anything else like seat or bars would likely be stripped off old bikes and used. The bikes still wouldn't have good resale for the reason(s) I mentioned in my edited post...But I have no doubt the patrons took advantage of the institution with an unreasonable number of services...how many bikes do people need a month? Certainly not more than one or two.

Avatar
FrankH replied to Jamminatrix | 6 years ago
1 like

Jamminatrix wrote:

...more than likely just homeless that steal a bike every time they need to get from Point A to Point B because it's convenient...

It seems that a lot of homeless want (or wanted) to get to point B. I wonder what the attraction was.

Avatar
don simon fbpe replied to FrankH | 6 years ago
0 likes

FrankH wrote:

Jamminatrix wrote:

...more than likely just homeless that steal a bike every time they need to get from Point A to Point B because it's convenient...

It seems that a lot of homeless want (or wanted) to get to point B. I wonder what the attraction was.

What do you think?

Avatar
FrankH replied to don simon fbpe | 6 years ago
1 like

don simon wrote:

FrankH wrote:

Jamminatrix wrote:

...more than likely just homeless that steal a bike every time they need to get from Point A to Point B because it's convenient...

It seems that a lot of homeless want (or wanted) to get to point B. I wonder what the attraction was.

What do you think?

Do I have to spell it out? I think Jamminatrix is wrong.

Avatar
don simon fbpe | 6 years ago
1 like

Quote:

“A reasonable person is going to assume it’s the homeless, but we don’t have any evidence to back that up,” said Sheriff’s Lt. Jeff Puckett, adding that the investigation is ongoing.

Well Lt Phuckup, I call you to task on whether this is a reaonable Trump voter or a reasonable person as a reasonable person would interprete reasonable person being that assumes this...

Avatar
ConcordeCX replied to don simon fbpe | 6 years ago
3 likes

don simon wrote:

Quote:

“A reasonable person is going to assume it’s the homeless, but we don’t have any evidence to back that up,” said Sheriff’s Lt. Jeff Puckett, adding that the investigation is ongoing.

Well Lt Phuckup, I call you to task on whether this is a reaonable Trump voter or a reasonable person as a reasonable person would interprete reasonable person being that assumes this...

”a reasonable Trump voter” - contradiction in terms.

a reasonable person wouldn’t assume anything, and Sherff Phuckett should know better.

Avatar
HLaB replied to ConcordeCX | 6 years ago
2 likes

ConcordeCX wrote:

don simon wrote:

Quote:

“A reasonable person is going to assume it’s the homeless, but we don’t have any evidence to back that up,” said Sheriff’s Lt. Jeff Puckett, adding that the investigation is ongoing.

Well Lt Phuckup, I call you to task on whether this is a reaonable Trump voter or a reasonable person as a reasonable person would interprete reasonable person being that assumes this...

”a reasonable Trump voter” - contradiction in terms.

a reasonable person wouldn’t assume anything, and Sherff Phuckett should know better.

Something tells me Sherrif Phukwit has an agenda sad

Avatar
don simon fbpe replied to HLaB | 6 years ago
2 likes

HLaB wrote:

ConcordeCX wrote:

don simon wrote:

Quote:

“A reasonable person is going to assume it’s the homeless, but we don’t have any evidence to back that up,” said Sheriff’s Lt. Jeff Puckett, adding that the investigation is ongoing.

Well Lt Phuckup, I call you to task on whether this is a reaonable Trump voter or a reasonable person as a reasonable person would interprete reasonable person being that assumes this...

”a reasonable Trump voter” - contradiction in terms.

a reasonable person wouldn’t assume anything, and Sherff Phuckett should know better.

Something tells me Sherrif Phukwit has an agenda sad

That would be a reasonable assumption.

Avatar
FrankH | 6 years ago
10 likes

"Nearby San Francisco has such an epidemic of bike theft that one bike is now being stolen every three hours."

You'd think the owner would have learnt to lock it up by now.

Yeah! I know, old joke, blah, blah, blah.

 

I'll get me coat. 

Avatar
Yorkshire wallet | 6 years ago
0 likes

Obviously just a case of kleptomania. 

 

Latest Comments