Thieves nabbed in a fragrant fiasco last week, were caught after stealing two e-motorcycles from a local supermarket in what police described as a less-than-genius heist. According to the Irvine Police Department's Facebook page, the electric two-wheelers were lifted from the Ralphs at Harvard and Main St, with the criminals leaving behind only a trail of ineptitude.
The plot took a turn when one of the victims tracked his e-motorbike to a Main St and Mac Arthur gas station using an app, discovering both stolen bikes in the back of a car. Upon being confronted, the suspects fled on foot, leading to a comical pursuit that ended with one suspect lurking in the bushes and the other in a dumpster. The latter, found Oscar the Grouch style, captured a surreal edge to the entire debacle.
In swift response, officers from the Irvine Police Department arrested Austin Lorin Brown, 30, of Orange, and William Jesus Ibarra, 34, of Riverside, subsequently escorting them to Orange County Jail. The charges against the clueless crooks include grand theft and possession of stolen property. The IPD's reminder rang clear in the aftershock of the arrests: Always lock up your bikes, e-bikes, and e-motorcycles.
