Man accused of stealing $28K in bicycles in San Francisco home burglary
Police in San Francisco have arrested a man in connection with a home burglary in the city's Richmond District, in which tens of thousands of dollars in bicycles were stolen.
Around 10 a.m. on Jan. 2, officers were called to a home in the neighborhood on reports of a burglary. According to an initial investigation, the suspect gained entry and stole several bicycles with an estimated value of $28,000.
On Monday, the victim notified police, saying that a possible match to one of the stolen bicycles was being offered in an online marketplace. With that information, investigators were able to identify a suspect and obtain arrest and search warrants.
Two days later, officers located the suspect, identified as Joseph Zachary Negapatan of San Lorenzo in Alameda County. He was arrested without incident near his home.
During a search of Negapatan's home, police said they seized the victim's bicycles and other bicycles, frames and bike parts believed to be stolen.
Negapatan was booked into the San Francisco County Jail in suspicion of possession of stolen property.
In a statement Friday, police urged bicycle owners to keep records of their serial numbers and utilize databases such as Bike Index, which is free.
Anyone with additional information about the case is asked to contact SFPD by calling 415-575-4444 or by texting TIP411, beginning the message with SFPD.