MILWAUKEE — A nonprofit bike shop in downtown Milwaukee was broken into early Thursday morning. The burglar broke in and stole a valuable e-bike worth thousands of dollars.
Security cameras captured the thief inside Vulture Space around 1:15 a.m. Thursday. The owner, Evan Pack, said the suspect threw a rock through the window, entered the shop, and stole an e-bike before returning about 10 minutes later to take a second, more valuable one.
"It's disheartening, it's frustrating, I put a lot of energy in here," Pack said.
He discovered the break-in Thursday morning and was able to recover one of the stolen bikes that had been abandoned a block away.
"Coming here I saw one of our e-bikes a block away. I didn't realize it was ours until I noticed what happened. So I ran and recovered one bike," Pack said.
Unfortunately, the thief made off with the shop's most valuable item – a Harley e-bike worth approximately $4,000.
"That's exactly what keeps us funded. That's what keeps it free for people to come in and work on their bikes and use the tools. That's how we replaced tools, pay the bills, everything," Pack said.
Vulture Space operates as a nonprofit dedicated to helping people ride safely on Milwaukee's roads, offering free access to tools and expertise.
Watch: Nonprofit bike shop burglarized, owner seeking community's help to identify thief
"Ultimately, it's sad. Ya know of all places this really isn't the spot to be ripping off at all," Pack said.
John Wucherer, who volunteers at the bike shop, expressed his personal connection to the space and concern about the incident.
"It bothers me a lot. It's kinda personal insult to be honest," Wucherer said.
After watching the security footage, Wucherer believes this wasn't the thief's first break-in. "He's done it before. He's too casual about it. He wasn't nervous. He just knew what he was doing. If I get caught..ok."
Pack hopes sharing his story will help identify the suspect and prevent future thefts.
"He should be accountable; there should be consequences for this. If someone can get away with doing this, they'll continue to do it," Pack said.
Meanwhile, Wheel and Sprocket in Bay View also experienced a break-in Thursday night.
Thieves shattered a glass door and stole three e-bikes.
Milwaukee Police Department is investigating whether the two burglaries are connected.
Vulture Space is offering a $100 reward for information leading to an arrest. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Milwaukee Police at (414) 935-7360 or, to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at (414) 224-TIPS or P3 Tips.
This story was reported by Megan Lee and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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