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Apopka Police Department replaces teenager's stolen bike

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APD Lieutenant Christopher Hanstein: "The entire squad was immediately on board. We sat around and brainstormed to see what we could do. It turns out it's the hardest bike in the world to find."

Ryan Renfro is a great kid. He works as a cook at Tijuana Flats in Apopka. Renfro, 17, is a junior at Apopka High School. He hopes to graduate in 2018 and study architecture at the Pratt School of Design in Brooklyn.

"Ryan breaks the high school versus adult work mentality," said Kyle King, Manager at Tijuana Flats. "He works hard every day. You would never know he is a high school student. He works like he has bills to pay."

On March 17th, Renfro rode his brand new 2017 Kink Curb BMX Plum Edition bicycle from his home in the Lake Doe neighborhood across the street to Tijuana Flats, locked it behind the restaurant, clocked in and started work. Renfro saved up for two months to purchase it with his own money.

Later in the shift Renfro checked on the bike and discovered it was missing.

The Apopka Police Department responded to the bike theft and took a report, which was discussed in a briefing later that evening.

It was at that briefing that APD Lieutenant Christopher Hanstein heard about the theft, and it brought back bad memories for him. He wanted to do something for Renfro.

"I had a similar thing happen to me when I was a 15-year-old," he explained. "I saved money working at Winn Dixie and bought a BMX bike and it too was stolen soon after I got it. This kind of hit home for me so I asked if anyone would be interested in replacing the bike that was stolen. The entire squad was immediately on board. We sat around and brainstormed to see what we could do. It turns out it's the hardest bike in the world to find."

But the degree of difficulty did not thwart Hanstein's efforts.

He began searching on the internet for the bike but kept hitting dead ends. He contacted the company, but they advised him that the specific bike he was looking for was sold out nationwide. They referred Hanstein to their corporate office where he made contact with Ryan O'Rourke, who would turn out to be a key contact. O'Rourke confirmed that the bike was no longer in production, but that if he waited until summer the new 2018 model would be available.

Hanstein knew Renfro probably bought the Kink Curb BMX Plum Edition for a reason, so he persevered to find an exact replacement. The hunt was on, but now the Lieutenant had another ally on the case.

"The next day O'Rourke contacted me and said that he found the same model in a small bike shop in upstate New York," Hanstein said. "He provided me with the contact number and a name. It was the only one left for sale anywhere that he was aware of."

Hanstein called the Arc De Triomphe bike shop in Richmond Hill, NY. He spoke with the owner who advised him that he had one Kink Curb Plum edition left and that it retailed around $350, but when he heard the story, agreed to drop the price to $280 and pay half the $60 shipping cost as well. Hanstein purchased the bike for $310, and it was delivered to his doorstep a few days later.

The entire process, from squad brainstorming, to research, to search, to raising the money, to delivery, took a little over a month.

This afternoon (Friday, April 21st) the APD delivered the bike to Renfro at Tijuana Flats. Renfro was excited, appreciative, and shocked all within a few seconds. Renfro was brought out of work by King in "surprise birthday party style" and taken to the side parking lot of the restaurant to be presented with the bike.

"You guys scared me," he said upon seeing his aunt, uncle, several APD officers, cruisers, and the mayor of Apopka all waiting for him. "I thought I was in trouble."

Renfro took a quick lap around the parking lot with his new bike and smiled as he approached Hanstein and the rest of the group.

"I love it. It's exactly like my other bike. It rides exactly the same. I can't tell the difference, and I can't thank you guys enough."

"Work hard, stay in school, get good grades, and we'll be happy," Hanstein said.

With the replacement bike, Renfro decided to train again and possibly compete in BMX races like Hanstein did years ago.

"I bought it just to get around, but as a kid I always liked BMX, so I decided to train with it... until it got stolen. But now I can get back into it."

Apopka Police Department, Tijuana Flats

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