DILLSBURG, Pa. — A string of motorbike thefts have been reported to police departments across Central Pennsylvania.
The bikes are being stolen after being put on sale on Facebook Marketplace.
“We live in a very safe environment here in Dillsburg. This kind of stuff doesn’t happen," said Cameron Mertz.
He is still stunned a week after his motorbike was stolen from his garage.
The former Marine put his two-month old bike for sale on Facebook Marketplace, after injuring himself while racing. Less than 12 hours later, the bike was taken in the middle of the night.
“I opened up my garage to grab a few pieces of gear that I sold online and was supposed to ship out to someone, and the dirtbike was missing," recalled Mertz.
The incident was captured on Cameron’s security camera. The video shows two men breaking into the garage and walking away with the bike in a little under two minutes.
“I’m really, I wouldn’t say impressed, but just shocked with how fast it all happened and how comfortable their body language was in that scenario," said Mertz.
Mertz's story, however, isn’t an anomaly.
Numerous residents throughout Central Pa. have reported similar thefts under similar conditions.
“It just upsets you every time you see another post like yours and it makes you want to do something," said Ryan. "But there’s not much we can do though.”
Many of the stolen motorbikes have been taken across state lines, and into Baltimore. Some thieves are even posting the stolen bikes on social media.
“I was so upset because I work two jobs and I built my bike from the ground up and put a lot of money into it," said Marie. "And it was sad to see my bike was in someone else’s hands for free.”
Community members are urging people not to post pictures of their bikes to Facebook and are hoping the thieves will be held responsible for the crimes.
“We got to figure out a way to police this better to try and deny the criminals the advantage they have right now," said Mertz.