Winnipeg mom and bodybuilders get boy’s stolen bike back 6 months later

When Krystle De Leon’s son had his bike stolen last April, she didn’t think they would ever see it again. But six months, a Kijiji ad and two bodybuilding friends later… this story now has a happy ending.

In April, De Leon’s 13-year-old son and his two friends had their bikes stolen from in front of John Henderson Junior High School.

“My son saved all his birthday and Christmas money to get (the) bike,” De Leon said. “They were devastated.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "My son saved all his birthday and Christmas money to get (the) bike," De Leon said. "They were devastated."

They eventually found two of the bikes but not his.

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Six months later, De Leon’s friend happened upon an ad for a similar looking bike on Kijiji. Her son believed it was his bike because of the stickers he had placed on the handles were still there.

That’s when the mom went in to spy mode.

De Leon contacted the seller and pretended to be a teenage boy interested in the bike. She told the seller she was interested in buying the bike and arranged to meet up in person.

But she brought back up.

“I wasn’t about to go there on my own, so as a precaution, I decided to contact my two bodybuilding friends and use their muscles and tattoos as intimidation as well,” she said.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "<span class="text_exposed_show">I wasn't about to go there on my own, so as a precaution, I decided to contact my two bodybuilding friends and use their muscles and tattoos as intimidation as well," she said."</span>

The trio showed up to meet the seller, inspected the bike and pulled out the original receipt and serial number of her son’s bike. It was a perfect match.

“I told the person, this is my son’s bike and that they are in possession of a stolen item,” De Leon said. She then continued. “We can go the easy way or the hard way. Either or, I’m not leaving without this bike nor am I paying for it.”

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De Leon said the person handed it over right away.

But there’s not always a happy ending for the hundreds of bikes stolen every single year.

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“There’s been a lot of bike’s stolen in the city,” Winnipeg Police Cst. Jay Murray said at the time. “Unfortunately, we find a lot of bikes and the serial number is not recorded so there’s only so much we can do in terms of investigation.”