Sheriff's Office Offers Safety Tips After Man is Robbed on Pinellas Trail

A man robbed Saturday evening along the Pinellas Trail has authorities offering tips to users of the former rail line that stretches from St. Petersburg to Tarpon Springs. 

Alexander Kudelich, 53, told Pinellas County Sheriff's Deputies that two black teenage boys knocked him off his bicycle, then made off with it after 8 p.m. Saturday on a stretch of the trail near Weaver Park and Wilson Street in Dunedin.

Kudelich chased the boys for a couple blocks and also yelled for someone to call police. A person at a Douglas Avenue address called 911 about the incident at 8:26 p.m., according to the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office. Deputies responded with a canine unit, but it was unable to track the suspects. 

Kudelich was not injured during the incident. Kudelich described the suspects as 5' 6" and about 150 pounds with a dark shirt. The other boy is about 5' 9" about 135 pounds and was wearing a white shirt.

The stolen bike is a blue "Giant" brand hybrid bicycle, which is a cross between a touring bike and a mountain bike. The bike also had a bag attached to the seat, which contained an undisclosed amount of cash.

In light of the incident, the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office has some suggestions for staying safe while on the Pinellas Trail. 

Use the buddy system because the trail is not very well lit, which can cause safety concerns at night. 

"It is usually not recommended to use the trail after dark," said Cecilia Barreda, a sheriff's spokeswoman.

The trail has an emergency response system with decals. The bright yellow decals are on the trail surface about every 200 feet and have unique location numbers. The decals provide contact information to report maintenance and emergency problems.

In Largo, to the trail with bathrooms and parking. Plus, city officials recently approved a study to explore