‘Operation Rolling Wheels’: Miami Beach woman’s efforts to find stolen bike lead police to bust 3 in suspected theft ring

Police mentioned they rounded up a group of bike bandits and a Miami Beach woman who had her expensive wheels stolen helped crack the situation Gayle Durham s secured condo bike room at the Flamingo Point along Bay Road apparently isn t so secure In an interview provided exclusively to News the theft victim evidenced where she believes the perpetrators broke into the building This is where I think they got in she explained They took my bike and another bike I mean look at this there s like bikes here Durham announced the thieves made their move earlier this week but she wasn t about to just let these crooks get away with it The victim commented notified used a GPS tracking device going into South Beach detective mode Got a ping here a ping there she declared The police were really great They came three times when I got my pings all over the city The pings eventually led her to an apartment building at Lenox Avenue And I got my bike back explained Durham But that wasn t all Durham s dogged efforts to hunt down her bike blew open what Miami Beach Police street crimes detectives called Operation Rolling Wheels a proactive initiative to remedy a spike in bicycle thefts in the city Thursday s police raid came days after Durham s bike was stolen and her tracking mission A police account states detectives busted a chop shop at the property where Durham revealed she ascertained and recovered her bike One the guys had like a makeshift table in the alleyway He had gold watches and a bunch of other jewelry and he s sitting there selling my bike and selling jewelry like he was at a bazaar she explained The police review states Detectives became aware of a location known to have high traffic of bicycles electric bicycles and standup scooters Lenox Avenue My hair was on fire I was so angry I was screaming at them disclosed Durham It wasn t just regular bicycles like Durham s that were recovered at the property but fancy expensive electric bikes Detectives revealed they recovered a bicycle and another worth as well as other electric scooters electric bicycles and traditional bicycles that were disassembled Bicycles in the courtyard scooters people like working on them painting them up revealed Durham Police on Thursday arrested Willian Alvarado Brayan Alcantu and Andys Rodriguez del Toro for grand theft and other charges Everyone says they ve had a bike stolen declared Durham When demanded whether she thinks these thefts are an epidemic in Miami Beach she replied Oh yeah for sure The persons of interest face a list charges including burglary and petty theft They remain behind bars at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in West Miami-Dade