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The DNAinfo archives brought to you by WNYC.
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Rash of Bike Thefts Hits Downtown

 A Trek bike similar to this one was recently stolen in Lower Manhattan.
A Trek bike similar to this one was recently stolen in Lower Manhattan.
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Facebook/Trek

LOWER MANHATTAN — Downtown saw a rash of bike thefts as the weather warmed up last week, according to the 1st Precinct's commanding officer.

In just three days, five bikes were reported stolen in the precinct, Capt. Brendan Timoney said at a recent community meeting, warning residents to lock up their bikes.

"Make sure those chains are really locked on there," Timoney said. "These [thieves] will find ways to get those bikes if they are not secured properly."

The recent bike theft victims included a Battery Park City man who had three of his bikes stolen after leaving them chained to a gate in front of 366 South End Ave. last weekend.

The 32-year-old told officers he locked up his $1,500 black Trek bike, his $1,200 aluminum Langster and his $500 gold Diamondback on May 30 at about noon, and when he returned at 3 p.m. on June 1, all the bikes and locks were missing.

A man in SoHo also discovered his bicycle was missing on June 1, police said. The 38-year-old said he chained his $2,500 Silver LeMond bike to a rack outside of 183 West Houston St. at about 1 p.m., and when he came back to the spot 30 minutes later, his ride was gone.

Police didn't catch the thieves of those bikes, but they did arrest a man who was spotted cutting the lock of a $1,500 bike chained to a street sign on the corner of Broadway and Spring Street on May 30 at about 4 p.m., the NYPD said.

Officers arrested Stanley Griffith, 52, soon after the incident, and recovered the bike, police said. Griffith was charged with grand larceny, according to police reports. Information about his lawyer was not immediately available.

Other crimes in the 1st Precinct this week include:

► Eleven scarves worth a total of $3,990 were stolen from the Burberry store at 113 Spring St. on May 25 at about 4:30 p.m., police said. Employees noticed the scarves were missing from a shelf when they were doing inventory two days later. Surveillance video caught two women grabbing the scarves and stuffing them into their bags before walking out of the shop.

► A woman had her bag stolen while she ate at sandwich chain Subway in the Financial District on May 29 at about 5:30 p.m. Her Jansport backpack, which contained $395 in cash, along with a $400 black leather wallet and her iPhone 5, was grabbed from the back of her chair at the 9 Broadway eatery without her noticing, police said.