San Luis Obispo officers seek help catching bumbling thief

December 30, 2025

By KAREN VELIE

A thief’s plan to burglarize retail bicycle store in San Luis Obispo on Saturday morning fell short after the stolen vehicle he was using broke down, police said.

On Friday, the thief allegedly stole a truck from Santa Maria. At about 4 a.m. on Saturday, the thief backed the truck through a window and into Cambria Bike Outfitters on Monterey Street.

After entering the store, the thief loaded multiple bicycles in the bed of the truck.

But when he attempted to drive away, the damaged truck was unable. As he attempted to drive away, an ambulance passed by.

The suspect then unloaded one of the bikes from the truck bed and rode off. Officers later found the bike abandoned several blocks away.

Video surveillance shows the the suspect was wearing gloves, dark jacket, a beanie type hat and a headlamp.

Police are asking anyone with information about the suspect or the incident to call Officer Kuhn at (805) 594-8037 or Crime Stoppers at (805) 549-7867 to provide information anonymously.