Crime & Safety

Man Robbed on Pinellas Trail

The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office has some suggestions for staying safe on the Pinellas Trail, after a man was robbed Saturday evening.

The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office is investigating a robbery on the Pinellas Trail in Dunedin.Β Alexander Kudelich, 53, told Pinellas County Sheriff's Deputies that two teenage boys knocked him off his bicycle, then took off with the bike. It happened after 8 p.m. Saturday on a stretch of the trail near Weaver Park and Wilson St.

Kudelich chased the boys for a couple blocks and also yelled for someone to call police. A person at a Douglas Ave. address called 911 about the incident at 8:26 p.m., according to the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office. Deputies responded and brought a K9 to track the suspects. However, the dog was not able to find them.

Kudelich was not injured during the incident. He told deputies that his attackers were black. He said one boy was 5' 6" tall, weighed about 150 lbs and was wearing a dark shirt. The other boy was 5' 9" tall, weighed about 135 lbs and was wearing a white shirt.

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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.

The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office has some suggestions for staying safe while on the Pinellas Trail. The trail is not very well lit, which can cause safety concerns at night.Β "It is usually not recommended to use the trail after dark," said spokeswoman Cecilia Barreda.Β Barreda also says another way to stay safe is to not go on the trail alone.Β 

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The Pinellas TrailΒ is a recreation trail that was built on an abandoned railroad corridor. It extends from St. Petersburg to Tarpon Springs.

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