Alleged Bike Thief Arrested in Sting Operation – Police Look to Connect Him to ‘Multiple’ Stolen Bikes

Police throughout Southern Marin are hoping they’ve nabbed one of the people responsible for the onslaught of expensive bicycle thefts in the area in recent weeks after a 45-year-old Santa Clara man was caught by Tiburon Police in a bike theft sting operation Saturday, authorities said.

George Jae Lee was arrested at around 3 p.m. Saturday in downtown Tiburon and booked into Marin County Jail on suspicion of theft, resisting arrest and being in possession of burglary tools. Lee also was on supervised probation and had an outstanding warrant in Marin on prior drug and vehicle allegations, according to Tiburon Police.

Police are linking Lee to “multiple other bicycle theft cases throughout Southern Marin,” according to Tiburon Police Officer Justin Kurland. The bikes have been valued between $1,000 and $9,000, he said.

Mill Valley Police are directly involved in the case, with MVPD Detective David Kollerer joining Kurland on visits to a San Francisco hotel where Lee was previously staying, as well as his home in Santa Clara, finding at least one other bike that is believed to have been stolen in the process, Kurland said.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Barry Borden said the case is still under review for potential charges, and Kurland said agencies throughout Southern Marin are looking to connect him to bike thefts.

The sting operation occurred after several weeks of reviewing reports of bike thefts in the area, Kurland said. Tiburon Police Sgt. Rob Law and Officer Shane Ford reviewed six months of reports, determining that many of the thefts were occurring on weekends and in the middle of the afternoon, Kurland said.

On Saturday, the pair locked a $4,000 decoy road bike downtown off Main Street and watched it from a distance, hoping to nab a thief.

They said one arrived at about 2:45 p.m., when a man approached the bike, cut the bike lock in less than two seconds and hopped on it. As he did, an officer approached him, and dropped the bike and began running. Police gave chase and caught the man they later identified as Lee, Kurland said.

Lee has posted bail. He is set to be back in court on Aug. 16 on the warrant. Borden said prosecutors have until then to file charges against Lee.

“When you’re dealing with bikes that cost more than some vehicles, this is a huge problem,” Kurland said.