HESPERIA • With the attitude of an angry mama bear, Vanessa Kline was determined to get her bicycle back after it was stolen.
Kline, 32, who is training for her 3,000-mile cross-country run beginning in 2015, said the last thing she needed was for someone to steal one of her and her fiance’s only modes of transportation.
“Tommy had momentarily left the bike out back of where he worked, at Gator’s in Victorville,” Kline said. “He got sidetracked and forgot to bring it in — that is when someone stole it.”
Kline, who owns a smaller model of the stolen bike, quickly snapped a photo of it and shared it on numerous Facebook sites the following day.
After the photo was shared more than 400 times on Facebook, someone had seen the bike advertised on Craigslist — the seller lived in Hesperia, Kline said.
After the police didn’t “move fast enough” to retrieve the bike, Kline said she decided to take matters into her own hands by calling and texting the seller numerous times in a 30-minute period.
“I told him that I would call the police and asked him to imagine how it would feel to spend Christmas in jail,” Kline said. “I told him that the bike was worth $500, so it’s considered grand theft.”
After being hounded, the suspected thief answered the phone and after a few minutes Kline found out that the bike bandit had attended Sultana High School with her.
“He told me that a homeless guy who did methamphetamines stole the bike because he needed the money,” Kline said. “I told him that I was broke, but you don’t see me stealing.”
On Dec. 17 at approximately 1 a.m., Kline’s former classmate gave her directions to his home where she walked into the house and retrieved the bike less than 48 hours after it was stolen.
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Kline is one of 10 runners selected to participate in The Race Across USA to raise awareness about childhood inactivity.
Kline’s team will leave California on Jan. 16, 2015, and visit schools along the route with the hope of starting new clubs, helping kids explore their physical and mental limitations and raising funds to sponsor students who cannot afford the cost of the 100 Mile Club.
Those who wish to sponsor Kline can send tax-deductible donations to 100 Mile Club, 2191 Fifth St., Suite 211, Norco, CA 92860. Include “RAUSA Vanessa Kline” in the memo portion of the check. For personal sponsorships, call Kline at 714-381-4612. For more information on the race, go to raceacrossusa.org. For more information on the 100 Mile Club, go to 100mileclub.com.
Source: vvdailypress.com/articles/hesperia-44274-marathoner-stolen.html
