Two suspects were arrested late Friday after a witness saw them stealing bicycles from a San Pablo Hall bike rack on the Tempe campus.
ASU Police, with the help of Tempe Police, arrested 40-year-old Dave Ellender and a juvenile at Ellender’s Tempe home.
The witness was parked near the bike rack and saw the suspects take the bikes off the rack and load them into a red Toyota Tacoma, whose license plate number led to Ellender’s home, ASU Police Cmdr. Jim Hardina said.
ASU Police arrived at the home following Tempe Police’s arrival, Hardina said. The suspects matched the descriptions the witness provided to University Police.
The man told police they did steal the bikes from San Pablo Hall.
Police do not believe the suspects are connected to any other reported bicycle thefts, Hardina said, but the two were arrested and are banned from all University campuses.
It is unclear if the man and the juvenile are related to each other, Hardina said.
The two bikes are still waiting to be claimed by the owners from San Pablo Hall, according to the ASU Police Facebook page.
Hardina said while one bike was unlocked, the suspects used bolt cutters to remove the other U-locked bicycle.
Hardina said students should register their bicycles with the University so they can be returned sooner if stolen or lost. He also encouraged students to lock their bikes with both a U-lock and cable lock.
“All bikes (that are) stolen are improperly locked,” Hardina said.
Criminal justice junior Chris Otchy said he uses his bicycle to commute every day from his home near South Terrace Road and East Orange Street to the Tempe campus.
He said his bicycle is registered with the University and uses both a U-lock and cable lock, which cost about $60.
“I don’t know if (registering) will really do anything,” Otchy said. “I know there’s a record of it, but bikes are always getting stolen.”
He said he sees a lot of bicycles on racks that have parts missing and knows a lot of friends who have had their bicycles stolen.
But, he said, it’s most likely because they didn’t lock them up.
University Parking and Transit Services sells U-locks, bicycle helmets and lights to the ASU community, spokeswoman Sarah Mason said.
“(We) offer bike safety equipment at a discounted price, which may help the rider and bicycle remain safe while on campus,” Mason said.
Students can also check out a video tutorial on how to properly lock up a bicycle at the University Police’s Facebook page.
Reach the reporter at sraymund@asu.edu
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