Thursday, 4:30 PM
Woman finds stolen bike on-line
(Pat Greenhouse/Globe Staff)
Danielle Stevens takes possession of her bike from Boston Police Officer Mary Courtney.
By Maria Cramer, GLOBE STAFF
The bicycle was perfect for Danielle Stevens to get around the city and protest the recent MBTA fare hikes.
The 22-year-old, an aspiring glass-blower, fell in love with its shiny black frame, its fat white and red wall tires, and its 1950s-style handlebars.
"I was so excited about it because it was so weird-looking," said Stevens, who bought the bike in January for $125.
Two weeks later, it was gone, stolen from the lobby of her Mission Hill apartment building after a neighbor’s party. Stevens filed a report with police, but after months of searching found it herself three days ago on craigslist and helped catch the alleged thief in a sting.
She was ready to give up until she logged on to the online classifieds forum Tuesday and found a posting with a photo of her bike, advertised for $100.
She called Boston police, who “had their guns ready to go,’’ she said.
Respond to the ad, police advised, and set up a meeting. On Wednesday, just before the 8 p.m. meeting, a dark van picked up Stevens. On their way to a parking lot behind Walgreens in Brigham Circle, the officers told plainclothes Officer Mary Courtney to pat her hair when she was sure she had the right person.
When they arrived, Stevens could see her bike chained to a fence. As she and Courtney walked toward it, a young, dark-haired man holding a 12-pack of ale approached them. Courtney asked the price. When he said, "$100," Courtney patted her head.
Three police cruisers pulled up, and at least 10 officers descended on the man, later identified as Daniel Holzer, 21, a student at Wentworth Institute of Technology.
Thursday, Holzer was arraigned on charges of larceny under $250 and pleaded not guilty in West Roxbury District Court. He declined to comment to a reporter.
Lieutenant Detective John Danilecki, who led the investigation, said police pursued the case aggressively in part because it was solvable. "These quality-of-life issues affect people," he said. "We try to solve every incident, whether it’s a shooting, stabbing or ... stolen property."
Maria Cramer can be reached at mcramer@globe.com.
