RICHMOND, (WRIC) – Max Corvett and William Anderson were at their home in Carytown on Tuesday, Sept. 5, when their security camera informed them a man was on the property, attempting to steal their $3,000 red electric scooter.
“I saw the notification 10 seconds after the thief left. I ran outside and saw him in the parking lot behind my house,” Anderson said. “ I couldn’t catch up to him to confront him about it.”
Security video obtained by 8News shows a man in a bright shirt and jeans entering their parking lot and approaching the scooter. The man can then be seen ripping the front panel off of the scooter and apparently attempting to hotwire it. Eventually, the man can be seen giving up and leaving the scene.
Corvett told 8News he feels violated but thankful the man did not take his joy ride.
Richmond residents are all too familiar with stolen bikes and scooters. Since the beginning of the year, the Richmond Police Department reports they have received 166 reports of stolen bicycles and scooters — both electric and non-electric.
Hendley Davis, an RVA on Wheels employee, told 8News the first mistake a scooter or bike owner can make is not investing in a study lock, which can help avoid thefts.
“The main goal is just making it difficult for them to cut into,” Davis said.
Other preventative measures Davis discussed with 8News included buying a steel lock, a GPS monitoring device like an AirTag and storing the bike or scooter in an enclosed location like a garage.
“If you’ve got an iPhone, you can hide it somewhere in there,” Davis said. “So you can always see where it is. If someone were to take it, you’ll [be] able to follow them and get it back.”
