Thief steals two bicycles from a Cleveland food bank

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – Two students, a young man and a young woman, went to the St. Vincent de Paul Brookside Food Pantry last Monday.

“And while they were in the pantry getting their food, unfortunately both of their bikes were stolen,” said Bob Kellner of the St. Vincent de Paul Society.

The bikes were connected to each other, but not secured anywhere.

“(He) was able to get on one bike, steady the other bike and ride off, around the back of the building and then down Pearl Road with both bikes,” Kellner explained.

The two students, who will return to the Dominican Republic next month, work at Progressive Field as kitchen foremen, putting in long hours and overtime.

“Their bikes were their only means of transportation,” Kellner says, “and now they have to rely on walking or using the bus system, which is not always the most efficient way to get around the city.”

The food distribution center, which serves about 150 people on Mondays and Thursdays, supported the students and found replacements for their bicycles.

“They said that overall they had a good experience in Cleveland, met a lot of great people, unfortunately with one exception,” Kellner said.

But they still want the thief to be caught.

“If anyone recognises the person, they can give us information that can help prevent further exposure to some of the more vulnerable clients in our area who are already receiving services.”

The students filed a police report with the 2nd District, and now the food bank plans to use money from its budget to install a secure bike rack in front of the building on Pearl Road to ensure this doesn’t happen again.

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