Twitter Helps Boulder Woman Track Down Bike Thief

BOULDER, Colo. (AP/CBS4) - A Boulder woman says her savvy social media skills are what reunited her with a stolen bike.

The Daily Camera reports Elaine Ellis, 30, returned home Saturday morning to find that her bike lock had been ripped out of a brick wall and her $500 bike missing.

She quickly tweeted news of her missing cycle and included a cell phone photo a neighbor took of the thief as the crime was happening.

Ellis is a social media manager and has more than 3,000 followers.

Less than five hours after she sent out the tweet, one of her Twitter followers spotted the thief and informed police.

Officers arrested 41-year-old transient David Carroll Oldham on suspicion of theft.

"I think it was Twitter as a tool but I really think it's Boulder's community that was really helpful in using Twitter to help me apprehend my bike thief," Ellis said. "It's just how Boulder is, it's very collaborative and very caring … people here are very anti-bike thefts since it's pretty common here in a college town."

Oldham could not be reached and did not have an attorney.

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