Police Arrest Man In Possession Of Bikes Stolen From Wenatchee Business

A man is in jail after police say he was found in possession of two bicycles that were recently stolen from a business in downtown Wenatchee.

Officers with the Wenatchee Police Department say the bikes, which had a combined value of over $20,000, were taken from Arlberg Sports after its storefront windows were smashed out on Sept. 30.

Police Capt. Edgar Reinfeld says detectives quickly got a break in the case after the business' owners spread word of the theft.

"Arlberg Sports put up some photos on social media and it circulated rapidly which led to someone calling and saying, 'hey, that bike and the other bike are here at my property' and they knew who had brought them there. Wenatchee Police officers responded to that location in East Wenatchee and recovered the two stolen bikes and also got a suspect ID."

The suspect description led members of the Columbia River Drug Task Force to 34-year-old Donel Sapp of East Wenatchee, who was arrested and booked into the Chelan County Regional Justice Center on Tuesday.

Reinfeld says Sapp is currently facing only one charge but more could soon follow.

"He has not yet been charged directly in connection with the burglary and theft from Arlberg, only for the possession of stolen property at this point. But there was a lot of good evidence, including blood evidence that was left at the scene by the person who broke in. And as we get test results back from labs we will pursue further charges as necessary against Mr. Sapp or others, if implicated."

Reinfeld adds that the Arlberg smash-and-grab robbery could be connected to similar break-ins that have recently occurred at other bicycle shops in the downtown area.

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