Portland Man Steals His Own Fuji Bicycle Back From Thief, Video Goes Viral
Portland, OR – A video of a man stealing back his own bicycle has gone viral online. Jake Gillum had his bicycle stolen while out on a date and was determined to get it back. Gillum searched online bicycle for sale postings for more than week trying to find his 2009 carbon fiber Fuji bike. The Portland man’s due diligence paid off when he not only found his stolen Fuji bicycl, but used the muscle-powered ride to chase down the thief so police could arrest him.
Jake Gillum preserved his stolen bicycle quest on YouTube under the name Simon Jackson. The 28-year-old Portland man stated it was the best feeling in the world seeing the bicycle thief locked in the back of a police cruiser, according to The Seattle Times.
“This is why you don’t steal from bicyclists. Because we care about our rides. I will go 160 miles to get my $2,500 bike back. You are going to jail,” Jake Gillum can be heard shouting on the viral YouTube video.
The stolen bicycle video spawned an online conversation among bicyclists; two Portland area cyclists noted they lost their bikes to Gillum’s thief as well, The Blaze reports. Bicycle theft is not uncommon in Portland, but this is the first known time the bike recovery and following suspect chase was captured on video.
Earlier this summer, Dave O’Hern had a bicycle stolen only to discover it in a local bike shop where it was taken for repair. O’Hern and the unknowing man who purchased the stolen bike helped police officers set up a sting to capture the bike thief. After spotting his stolen bicycle on Craigslist, bike theft victim Matt Goyer made an appointment to take the bike for a test spin and then simply rode his property away. Goyer does not own a car and used his bicycle to ride around Portland to do yard work and other odd jobs.
Gillum spotted his stolen Fuji bicycle in an online ad and then enlisted the help of two friends to get it back from the bike thief. He created a fake email account under the name Simon Jackson, used a cellphone app to make it appear they were calling from Seattle, and then requested photos to make sure it was his stolen bicycle. Gillum and his pals met with the seller of the stolen bike, identified as Craig Eric Ackerman, to buy the Fuji bicycle. Gillum pretended he was going to buy the bicycle and then told Ackerman he was the bike’s original owner. The bicycle thief allegedly tried to claim he bought the Fuji off Craigslist but took off running when Gillum said the police were on the way. Gillum hopped on his Fuji bicycle and chased the suspect to keep him in sight until police officer arrived on the scene.
