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17 bicycles stolen on campus last week

University Police are investigating the theft of 17 bikes on campus last week.

The bikes were stolen between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m., near Eta, Epsilon, Holly, Castor, Kosove and Zeta residence halls. Police also reported thefts outside of the Fine Arts building, the campus recreation center and the Education building.

According to University Police Corporal Michael Rapp, bystanders described a

middle-aged white male standing around the bike racks before some of the thefts were reported.

UP questioned a man matching these descriptions and seen on campus riding a bike with another bike in tow, Rapp said.

Officers did not make an arrest because the serial numbers on the bikes he was carrying did not match the serial numbers of the bikes reported stolen, Rapp said.

Most of the bicycles stolen were mountain bikes, including brands such as Schwinn, Giant, Mongoose and Trek. They ranged in value from $60 to $1,900.

Rapp said it is uncommon for so many bikes to be stolen in one week, but he added that bike thefts tend to spike at the beginning of a semester.

According to Rapp, all of the stolen bikes were secured with cable locks, which were easily cut by the suspect.

He recommended students use a U-Bolt style metal lock and copy the serial numbers of their bicycles.