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Harbor Police Make Arrest in Bike Theft Series

Thursday, 01 September 2011
Contact: Barbara Moreno (619) 686-6216

San Diego Harbor Police officers have arrested a man accused of pulling off a series of bicycle thefts along the San Diego Embarcadero.

Police arrested Bret Martinson, 24, of San Diego, on Wednesday, August 24, in connection with the case that involved more than $10,000 in losses.

Officers were on overnight patrol around 12:30 a.m. when they were flagged down by a security guard at the Cabrillo Isle Marina, 1450 Harbor Island Drive on Harbor Island in San Diego, said Harbor Police Detective Michael Dye.

The guard told Sgt. John Reilly and officers Eric Mitchell and Carissa Zettle that he had just witnessed two men steal bicycles and leave the scene.

One man was taken into custody at the scene. A second led police on a short bicycle pursuit.

That man was arrested and identified as Martinson. Dye said Martinson was being sought by the Harbor Police Investigations Unit on suspicion of having been involved in other bike thefts at hotels along the Embarcadero.

Officers had been tracking the case since June and had identified Martinson as a suspect through surveillance images taken at the Manchester Grand Hyatt, as well as information from other detainees.

According to Dye, seven bicycles were stolen in this series, with one of the bikes being valued at $6,500.

The Harbor Police is the law enforcement arm of the Port of San Diego and has 128 sworn officers – all trained as firefighters and police officers. The jurisdiction of the Harbor Police includes San Diego Bay, the San Diego International Airport, as well as the tidelands of the five member cities: San Diego, Chula Vista, Coronado, Imperial Beach, and National City.