CALGARY — Canmore RCMP has recovered nearly three dozen stolen bikes after a traffic stop led officers to search a storage unit in Calgary.
Police were notified of a suspicious U-Haul truck parked in an industrial area on Railway Avenue in Canmore about 6 p.m. on Friday.
Knowing a U-Haul has been linked to a number of bicycle thefts in the area, police launched an investigation and the truck was located.
Officers followed the truck to Calgary’s city limits, where a traffic stop was made and the driver taken into custody.
A search of the U-Haul turned up 12 bikes, which are all believed to be stolen from the Canmore area.
The U-Haul was also determined to be stolen and police found a number of items inside, including power tools, two miniature motorcycles, break-in instruments (bolt-cutters, flashlights, balaclavas, torches), multiple gift cards and vehicle documents.
A search warrant was obtained for a storage facility in Calgary, where police found another 20 bikes, which are also believed to be stolen from the Canmore area.
The total value of all property recovered is estimated to be more than $100,000.
John Gil Cortez, 24, is charged with:
- Possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000
- Two counts of theft over $5,000
- Fraudulent possession of a credit card
- Possession of counterfeit money
- Two counts of theft under $5,000
- Possession of a stolen motor vehicle
- Breach of recognizance
- Operating an uninsured motor vehicle
Cortez is scheduled to appear next in a Canmore courtroom Oct. 16.
Police are now working to match the bikes with reports of stolen bikes from the Canmore area. Anyone who didn't file a report but thinks their bike might have been recovered can call Canmore RCMP at 403-678-5519.
