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Woman pleads for return of bike stolen in SLC, says gift from late husband is irreplaceable

Posted at 7:58 PM, Apr 15, 2017
and last updated 2017-04-15 23:26:31-04

SALT LAKE CITY -- Erica Linnell was headed to Moab from Idaho with friends on April 7th. They were gearing up for their annual biking trip in memory of her late husband, AJ, who was killed two years ago in a plane crash on April 10th.

When Erica stopped in Salt Lake City to grab dinner with her brother, someone stole her bike off of her car.

She said two cables had been cut and the rack itself, which locks, was broken. She said bikes are replaceable, but this one is different.

“My husband had given me this bike, one month before he was killed, for my 40th birthday two years ago," she explained.

She said insurance could cover the at least $5,000 it would cost for a new version of her bike, but her bike and the significance it holds is irreplaceable.

She shared the news on Facebook, asking friends to help keep an eye out for her bike. The post was quickly shared by hundreds, seen by thousands, and was posted on other social media sites.

She said at one point she spotted her bike for sale online, but it quickly disappeared. She said she thinks someone may have tried to call and buy it back for her, but accidentally scared off the seller.

It's the support from so many, she said, that makes the silver lining in all of this.

“People have just been so generous and I mean people offered–strangers offered–to give me bikes to take down to Moab for my trip," she said. "I walked into a shop to rent my bike and someone, an anonymous person, had already called to pay for my rentals for the week. People have been so gracious.”

Erica said if the bike thief is out there and hears her story, she wants them to know she will not press charges. She said the person can simply drop the bike off somewhere, like the police department or a bike shop, with a note, "no questions asked."

Her bike is a "White Pivot Mach 429" with Crank Brothers Egg Beater Pedals, a dropper post and orange grips. She said some of those things may have been taken off or changed, but if you see that type of bike, it's likely hers, as not many are made.

Anyone who sees the bike is asked to contact the Salt Lake City Police Department. Dispatch can be reached at 801-799-3000.