Boys' hard work soiled by BMX bike theft

When thieves escaped into the night with BMX bicycles owned by two Brownsville brothers, they took more than just bikes.

Zachary DeMello, 12, and his 17-year-old brother, Robert, each worked countless hours to buy the bikes and outfit them with parts that made the machines unique — and expensive, said their mother, Lydia Sarao.

The bikes, which disappeared Saturday night from the porch of the family home in the 9100 block of LaPorte Road, had an estimated total value of $3,300 — all of it income from lawn work and other jobs, Sarao said.

Zachary had planned to attend a BMX camp this spring in Woodland. With family finances tight, that's out, she said.

Theft seems to an increasing problem in the small foothills town, she said. The same weekend the bikes disappeared, another family posted a notice in the Gold Eagle Market on Willow Glen Road about two stolen motorcycles, she said.

While Brownsville — or 90 percent of it — is "an awesome community," an element of young troublemakers has her thinking of moving. Since the theft, her younger son feels less secure in his own house, said Sarao.

The boys are known in the community by their fancy, multicolored bikes. Whoever took them knew where to look, she said.

Sarao said she hopes publicity will make it impossible for the thieves to sell the bikes in the "fish bowl" town, and let other young people know "that they need to protect their stuff."

Yuba County Sheriff's Department deputies were helpful, but the chances of tracking down the bikes, which may have been repainted by now, probably aren't good, said Sarao.

Sheriff's Department spokeswoman Melanie Oakes said she has no statistics pointing to a rash of thievery in Brownsville. But foothills residents commonly don't report thefts that aren't major, she said.

"There are lots of times when they may encounter a deputy or make a call for something else two, three, six months later and mention it only as an afterthought," said Oakes.

"Obviously that makes it a bit harder for us to track patterns as they are occurring. We've tried, and continue to try, to get the message out about calling right away, but I think it will take some time to change the mindset," she said.

Robert said his bike was black and green. Zach's was gray and neon yellow-green. Both have no identifiable brand, having been put together from so many different parts, he said.

With car insurance and other expenses coming up, it may take him a year or longer to replace his bike, Robert said.

"My little brother was more devastated than I was. To work all summer and then have this happen," Robert said.

"I just hope he gets his bike back."

Contact Appeal-Democrat reporter Rob Young at 749-4710 or at ryoung@appealdemocrat.com.