NORTHEAST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - A thief who stole a bicycle outside of a South Florida home returned to the scene to undo his bad deed.
Home surveillance video first captured the burglary outside of the house located near Northeast 176th Street and Ninth Avenue on Dec. 23, but the family said they didn’t expect to see the return on camera as well.
“It’s very important because it’s the only way to get to school and back from school without annoying my mom,” said bicycle owner Benji Heller.
Even though the bike’s chain is missing, the 14-year-old said he is relieved to have his new mountain bicycle back.
“Without this, without putting it on the news, I don’t think I would have ever gotten it back,” Heller said.
7News aired the story on Christmas Day. Crooks with bolt cutters cut off the lock and made off with the victim’s bike. “What is wrong with these kids?” he asked. “Like, what makes them want to take a bike?”
The teen’s mother, Nechama Heller, was furious when she found out about the theft. “I was very upset that they felt they could just walk up to someone’s house in the middle of the day and take what didn’t belong to them,” she said.
On Wednesday, at around 12:30 p.m., someone knocked on the front door, left the bicycle before bolting. “I went home and looked at my surveillance cameras, and at around 12:30 in the afternoon, a kid just walked right up to the door with the bike, knocked and ran away,” Nechama said.
She said this has restored her faith in people. “I’m happy that they came back and returned it,” she said. “It shows that there is still some value system. People saw it on the news, they decided to bring it back. It was very nice. It did make us really happy, and I hope that they learned a lesson from this.”
Nechama released the house surveillance video after the original crime and several residents in the area said they were also victimized.
If you recognize the subject in the video, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a $1,000 reward.
Copyright 2025 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.