Madison police teamed up with a 64-year-old Madison woman Jan. 18 to reclaim her stolen bike after the victim saw it being advertised on Craigslist.
The victim previously reported the bike missing from a storage area within her North Segoe apartment building, according to a police report.
Police recovered the bike after the woman contacted the seller by email and arranged for a test ride on North Orchard Street, according to Madison police department spokesperson Joel DeSpain.
In the emails, the seller, 52-year-old Madison resident Randall Wallace, said he was selling a bike he received as a Christmas gift for $300 because he was “unemployed and about to get evicted,” according to the report.
According to DeSpain, the police observed the test ride at a distance and watched until the victim verified that the bike was hers.
Police confronted Wallace, and he claimed to have found the bike in a snow bank. He was arrested on charges of receiving stolen property.
