Bicycle Theft Victim Wants To Help Others Get Bikes
DENVER (CBS4)- A young woman, on a mission to help people find affordable housing by riding her bicycle, is looking for her bike after it was stolen. That bike was locked and was stored in a locked storage area.
"I'm in school right now, I'm getting my masters in city planning and I'm focusing on alternative transportation. It's my passion to get people out of cars and on bikes," said Emily Kleinfelter. "I have a tattoo of a bike. They are my life; they are my love."
"I'm in school right now, I'm getting my masters in city planning and I'm focusing on alternative transportation. It's my passion to get people out of cars and on bikes," said Emily Kleinfelter, "I have a tattoo of a bike. They are my life; they are my love."
She doesn't just talk the talk, she rides the ride. She only gets around by pedal power, that is until this past week. Someone got into the locked storage area in her apartment building, cut her bike lock and stole her bike.
But it wasn't just an ordinary bike, "That bike was the one that I rode two years ago across the country with an organization called Bike & Build and it's incredibly sentimental to me. I named it after my grandfather."
The thieves also stole her everyday bike she usually rides to school, but it's her white Giant bicycle she named after her grandfather that has caused her the most grief.
"I broke down the moment I saw that it was gone. I was in tears. I couldn't stop crying."
She's offering a $750 reward for her white bike, far more than what it's worth. She knows it is unlikely she will get it back, but she says this whole experience has reaffirmed her belief that people need bikes and she's ready to help everyone get one.
"I want some sort of positive thing to come out of this so I want to do donations to the local non-profit here in town bikes together that helps low income people get access to a bike and get them moving."
If you have Emily's bike, you can return it to Sexy Pizza on 11th and Corona Street in Denver and the money will be yours, no questions asked. If you want to help her raise money for Bikes Together to help others get bicycles, check out her GoFundMe page.
Michael Abeyta is a 4th generation Coloradan and a Multimedia Journalist for CBS4. His stories can be seen on CBS4 News at 5 & 6. He is on Twitter! Follow him @AbeytaCBS4.
