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The Rice Thresher
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by Burt Kobylivker For the thresher Police arrested a suspected bike thief Saturday after a student reported someone carrying off a bike and suspicious tools. University Police Sgt. Les Hulsey said police think the suspect was not working alone. A student reported seeing the suspect, Wardell McGowan, 38, between Baker and Wiess Colleges at about 11:30 p.m. The suspect was described as about 5 feet 9 inches tall, with an unkempt appearance and wearing a blue windbreaker. When police caught up with McGowan in the Will Rice College quad, he was carrying a bike away to stack it on top of another bike, which police also believe he stole. Hulsey said bike thieves often pile numerous stolen bikes together, and an accomplice later puts the entire stack into a car. Because McGowan was not carrying keys when police arrested him, Hulsey said they believe he was working with at least one other person. "Don't let your guard down because we think he wasn't working alone," Hulsey said. "We figure they're stacking them and that someone else would come around." Hulsey said police believe McGowan's accomplice is a younger male who has been reported three times near bike racks. This suspect is about 20-22 years old, 180 pounds, 6 feet tall and wears a backpack. In all three reports, the alleged accomplice has been wearing a light blue windbreaker. Hulsey said he does not know if the suspect will return anytime soon because when one member of a crime team is arrested, his partner does not generally return to the same place for a while. "A lot of times, if we catch one, they'll stay away for a while knowing that we're watching them and not knowing what the other guy's told us," Hulsey said. Sgt. Steve Reiter said the student's accurate description of McGowan made the difference in helping the police catch the suspect. Reiter said when police approached the suspect, he claimed he was given permission to fix the bike by the owner, a friend of his. Because the bike was registered, police were able to contact the owner, who said he did not know McGowan. If he is found guilty of theft, a Class B misdemeanor, McGowan will be fined between $50 to $500. Police said McGowan is currently charged with only one bike theft, but his blue windbreaker matches the description of an earlier suspect. Three other bikes have been reported stolen since McGowan's arrest. "We have had a couple thefts [reported] since the thief was caught, but it may be that they weren't discovered until later," Lt. Dianna Marshall said. "And you have to remember that just because we caught one bike thief, that doesn't mean that it's the end of bike thefts." Reiter encouraged students to use U-bolt locks to properly secure bikes because cable locks can be easily cut by scissors. "[Thieves] can cut through a cable in the same time it takes for someone to dial their locker combination," Reiter said. "When they see these cable locks, it is like a green light for them. If students use U-bolt locks, these guys would be knocked out of business." Marshall said students should register their bikes to increase the chances for a bike to be returned if it is stolen. Students can register bikes online at the police department's Web site at http://rupd.rice.edu. Reiter said most bike thefts happen late at night because thieves know that police are busy with other activities. "The thieves study and know when [police] are most vulnerable," Reiter said. "They watch activity on campus."
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