Accused bike thief nabbed in police sting
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.
But 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.
"Up for sale, old style cruiser," the ad read. "Don't really ride . . . anymore because I got a new bike." She called Boston police, expecting little interest, but their reaction startled her. "They had their guns ready to go," she said. "They were excited."
Respond to the ad, the police advised, and set up a meeting. With that cue, the sting was on. On Wednesday, just before the 8 p.m. meeting with the alleged thief, a dark van picked up Stevens. Inside were three plainclothes officers, including Officer Mary Courtney, dressed in jeans and a windbreaker, who would go undercover with Stevens. On their way to the meeting site, a parking lot behind Walgreens in Brigham Circle, the officers told 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.
Suddenly three police cruisers pulled up, and at least 10 officers descended on the man, later identified by police as Daniel Holzer, 21, a student at Wentworth Institute of Technology. As they pushed him against the fence to handcuff him, Stevens watched in awe.
"I'm like, 'Oh, my God, it's just a bike,' " she said yesterday. Yesterday, 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."
Stevens, who just graduated from Massachusetts College of Art, said she is grateful for the officers' efforts and will upgrade her bike. "I'm going to get a basket and a bell," she said. And a lock.
Maria Cramer can be reached at mcramer@globe.com. 