Palm Beach Police: Lake Trail robbery victim caught suspect in the act of stealing bicycle

A woman who came upon a man stealing her bicycle Monday on the Lake Trail decided to first confront him, then called her husband at his office for help. Her husband, in turn, brought to the scene a co-worker, who ended up being injured by the suspect, according to a police report.

The woman told police she had locked her bicycle to a light pole in Bradley Park before she headed north on the Lake Trail. When she returned, she saw the suspect standing on the front tire of the bicycle, which was upside down. The woman told the suspect the bicycle was hers, but he said he had gotten it from an unknown person, police said.

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The woman then called her husband, who works nearby. After he and his co-worker showed up, the husband told the suspect to leave "and a verbal confrontation ensued," the report said. The suspect then reportedly "pulled out a knife from his backpack, lunged forward and struck" the co-worker, wounding him on the arm.

Immediately following this incident, the woman called police for help, the report said.

When officers arrived, the woman provided them a photo of the suspect she had taken in Bradley Park.

The suspect was spotted walking southbound on Cocoanut Row near Via Sunny and was stopped by police, who asked him if he had any weapons on him. The suspect said he had a pocket knife in his backpack. The knife as well as a plastic bag of marijuana were found in the backpack, the police report said.

The suspect "immediately uttered that he was trying to steal the bicycle and that he stabbed the victim in self-defense," according to the report.

The suspect, who police said was advised of his Miranda rights, then told them he had been working earlier Monday morning at a construction site on Sunset Avenue when he decided to leave his job. As he was walking southbound along the street, he saw the bicycle locked to the light pole. He broke the lock and removed the bike.

The suspect said "the bicycle's rim/tire was bent so he removed the tire from the frame and attempted to straighten the tire." It was at this point that the woman came and told him the bicycle was hers, the suspect told police.

The suspect told police that during the argument with the men, he saw what he thought was a stick in the hand of the co-worker. He told police he stabbed the co-worker in the hand during the altercation and then walked away, according to the report.

The victim identified the suspect as the man she said stole her bicycle and slashed her husband's co-worker's arm. Statements from her husband and his co-worker supported her version of events from the time they arrived.

The co-worker, who was taken to the hospital, admitted to having an expandable baton in his hand, which he said belonged to someone else.

The suspect was charged with armed robbery with a deadly weapon, aggravated battery during a felony and possession of marijuana under 20 grams.

Town Manager and former Police Chief Kirk Blouin told the Daily News Tuesday that people should always call the police first when dealing with a suspicious situation.

Stressing that he didn't blame the victim for Monday's events, he said understood that while some people might be hesitant to call, the police would prefer it.

They want to handle it while it is happening rather than handling the situation after the fact, said Blouin.

In this case, he said, "we potentially could have kept everyone safe had the police been called first. ... Just use 911 — that's what it's there for."

For routine, non-emergency calls, Blouin said residents should call (561) 838-5454.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Palm Beach Police: Lake Trail robbery victim confronted suspect in the act