Keith Simmonds thought he’d never see his scooter again.
Simmonds, a minister at Duncan United Church, left his 49cc Honda Ruckus in the parking lot of the church on the night of Sept. 22 and found it missing the next morning.
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He said he uses the bike, which he has owned for about a year and a half, to get around Duncan and other local destinations and it’s usually kept at his home at night.
But Simmonds said the church, located on Jubilee Street in Duncan, held it’s annual Harvest Fair fundraiser on Saturday and he was using his van to transport goods and materials in support of the event.
“I meant to pick it up and take it home after the fair, but I got caught up in other things and just forget about it,” he said.
“I woke up at 2 a.m. on Sunday and remembered that I had forgotten the bike, and when I got to church for morning services at about 8 a.m., it was gone.”
Simmonds said that during the Harvest Fair, the organizers had decided not to price things and people were encouraged to take what they needed and pay what they could.
He said he jokingly told his congregation during service on Sunday morning that whoever took it must have thought that the articles that were offered at the fair included his bike.
“I assumed I would never see it again and I called the police to report the theft, and ICBC to begin a file,” he said.
“At about 1:15 p.m. on Sunday, I got a call from the police who said that they had found my bike in the back of a pick-up truck in the parking lot at Canadian Tire. An officer spotted the bike, knew mine was stolen that morning and asked the pick-up’s driver if he had any papers for the bike when he returned.”
Simmonds said the man obviously didn’t and he was arrested.
He said the police then returned the bike to him.
“There was no damage, but the plate and decals were removed,” Simmonds said.
“Fortunately, the licence plate was still in the truck when the bike was found, so I just had to put it back on again.”
Simmonds said he plans to be more careful with the bike in the future.
“I now have a heavy cable and lock to make sure no one can take it as easily again,” he said.
“I’m just glad to have it back.”
robert.barron@cowichanvalleycitizen.comLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter
