Police Bust Bike Thieves Using Bait Bike

The following information was supplied by the Brookline Police. Charges listed do not indicate convictions.

Brookline Police have been actively working to curb the recent rash of bike thefts in town.

At about 7:30 p.m. on August 4, officers responded to the activation of the bait bike GPS unit at the intersection of Marshall Street and Sewall Avenue.

An officer put the bait bike in position at about 4 a.m. that morning and secured it with a cable lock to a sign post at the intersection of Beacon Street and James Street. The GPS system kicks in when the bike moves.

Police headed towards Marshall Street and Sewall Avenue and were rerouted to Longwood Avenue heading towards Kent Street.

Police saw two men on bicycles near Longwood Avenue and Kent Street. One of the men was on the bait bike.

Officers stopped the two men, identified as Axel Perez and Jonathan Soto, and asked Soto, who was the bait bike if the bike belonged to him. Soto said it did, and smiled when the officer said that they knew it didn’t.

Officers read Perez his Miranda rights and asked about his bike. Officers searched Perez’s red gym bag and found a pair of bolt cutters.

Officers arrested Soto, 29, of 65 Hammond Street, Roxbury and Perez, 51, of 26 Rutland Street, Boston and charged them with larceny of property over $250.

Officers held onto the bike that Perez was riding in order to determine who the owner was.