An Annual Rite of Summer: Bike Stolen from Pool Lot

It happens every summer — bikes go missing from the lockup at the pool parking lot.

The first bike of the season went missing this Sunday, June 19, when an 11-year-old boy reported that his unsecured bicycle was taken from the bike rack at the Maplewood Pool between 5:45 p.m. and 7:15 pm. The bike is described as a black Haro mountain bike with grey trim.

Maplewood Police do beef up patrols of the pool parking lot throughout the summer swim season but remind residents and pool users to secure their bikes — as well as lock their cars — when visiting the Maplewood Community Pool.

The remainder of this week's police blotter — courtesy of Maplewood Police Capt. Paul Conlon — contain a home burglary on Hughes Street, the police summation of the hold-up at the Denco gas station this past weekend, the overnight theft of a bicycle from an unsecured garage on Courter Avenue, and the Monday morning theft of a Pontiac Bonneville on Hilton Avenue.

June 12, 2011: Burglary- A resident of Hughes Street reported to police that sometime between June 7, and June 8, 2011, an someone entered her home through an unlocked back door and removed a Compaq Presario computer and an XBox gaming system. 

June 18, 2011: Robbery of Gas Station- At 5:10 p.m. the two attendants at the Denco Gas Station on Springfield Ave reported to police that a black man, about 30 to 40 years of age, with a beard, got out of a light colored four-door sedan and pointed a handgun at them demanding they turn over all of their money. The suspect approached one attendant first, taking his money and then proceeded to the second attendant. After receiving the money from both victims the suspect got back into the four-door sedan and drove eastbound on Springfield Avenue. There was another person in the passenger seat of the car but this man never exited the vehicle. He is described as a black male, wearing a lime green shirt. Neither of the attendants were injured in the incident.

June 19, 2011: Theft of a Bicycle-A resident of Courter Avenue reported to police sometime during the overnight hours a bicycle was taken from an unsecured garage. There was no make or model of the bicycle available when it was reported stolen.

June 20, 2011: Stolen Auto- A visitor to a home on Hilton Avenue reported his 1993 Pontiac Bonneville was taken from in front of the home between 8 a.m. and 10:15 a.m.