Bicycles

[ambercat]

One of the posters on the EAR-ONS thread on Websleuths recently posted the lines from a television show they were waching –

"How does a guy move around a middle class neighborhood at night without somebody hearing or seeing him?"

"On a bike."

www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?p=9884706#post9884706

I started thinking about this and realized that this is very true; a little over ten years ago, there was a man who was breaking into women’s homes in the middle of the night primarily in the Belmont Shore section of Long Beach and raping them. After Mark Wayne Rathbun was arrested and I saw his mug shot, I realized that I had seen him on his bicycle countless times (usually around the intersection of Second Street and Bayshore) for years and never gave it a second thought.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Wayne_Rathbun
articles.latimes.com/2002/nov/12/local/me-belmont12
articles.latimes.com/2004/aug/11/local/me-belmont11
www.cbsnews.com/2100-201_162-528971.html

While both Mark Rathbun’s and EAR-ONS’ cases involve sexual assault and “hot prowl” burglaries, there are quite a few differences, too, but I was wondering if people just for whatever reason overlooked EAR-ONS on a bicycle?

I have also read reports that EAR-ONS had stolen bicycles at various times and that, prior to the Smiths’ murder, an epileptic on a bicycle had driven into the Smiths’ car. I can’t really find more information about the epileptic; does anyone know if there if more information about him somewhere? Oddly enough, Richard Ramirez, the other Night Stalker was also an epileptic.

[lepke]

You raise some interesting points, and EAR/ONS was known to steal and ride bicycles. The guy who crashed into the car of the Smiths should definitely be checked out. It is true to say that there are certain problems that have been known to cause blackouts, as well as problematic behaviour.

EAR/ONS was known for having been in good shape, and being able to flee crime scenes at speed, sometimes using bicycles. From personal experience, having been pretty handy on a bicycle myself, regularly riding marathons, getting up to 60mph and so on, I can tell you that when someone reaches that kind of level of fitness, in it's own way a bicycle can be even better than having a car as a getaway vehicle, in suburbia at least.

When I was at my fittest on my bicycle, and in areas that I am very familiar with, where I know many places that cars cannot follow bicycles, like alleys, roads with blocks, footpaths and so on, and I think that it would have been very difficult for a police car to stop me getting away, especially if the police would not be prepared to knock me off my bike with their car.

In the area of London that I come from, from when I was riding my bicycle regularly, I am familiar with footpaths that follow streams, that are behind people's gardens, where most people who live in the area never go from one year to the next, and where the footpaths are usually deserted.

A house that I lived in when I was younger backed on to one of footpaths I speak of, and if had wanted to (at night) I could have put my own bicycle over my back fence, jumped over it myself, ridden a mile or two at night down the footpath, left my bicycle by someone else's back fence, and jumped their fence and into their garden.

I could have done all of that in reverse order on the way back, with probably a 95% chance that no one else was aware of what I had done, and never being in sight of the roads where either of the houses were situated on.

When you have such intimate local knowledge, and the athleticism to ride a bicycle fast for miles, and jump over fences almost silently and with ease, as well as climb on buildings and the like, a whole new world of possibilities emerges in terms of what you can do that others cannot, or even think of doing.

[ezraeda]

Oct 8, 2013 11:49:50 GMT lepke said:

You raise some interesting points, and EAR/ONS was known to steal and ride bicycles. The guy who crashed into the car of the Smiths should definitely be checked out. It is true to say that there are certain problems that have been known to cause blackouts, as well as problematic behaviour.

EAR/ONS was known for having been in good shape, and being able to flee crime scenes at speed, sometimes using bicycles. From personal experience, having been pretty handy on a bicycle myself, regularly riding marathons, getting up to 60mph and so on, I can tell you that when someone reaches that kind of level of fitness, in it's own way a bicycle can be even better than having a car as a getaway vehicle, in suburbia at least.

When I was at my fittest on my bicycle, and in areas that I am very familiar with, where I know many places that cars cannot follow bicycles, like alleys, roads with blocks, footpaths and so on, and I think that it would have been very difficult for a police car to stop me getting away, especially if the police would not be prepared to knock me off my bike with their car.

In the area of London that I come from, from when I was riding my bicycle regularly, I am familiar with footpaths that follow streams, that are behind people's gardens, where most people who live in the area never go from one year to the next, and where the footpaths are usually deserted.

A house that I lived in when I was younger backed on to one of footpaths I speak of, and if had wanted to (at night) I could have put my own bicycle over my back fence, jumped over it myself, ridden a mile or two at night down the footpath, left my bicycle by someone else's back fence, and jumped their fence and into their garden.

I could have done all of that in reverse order on the way back, with probably a 95% chance that no one else was aware of what I had done, and never being in sight of the roads where either of the houses were situated on.

When you have such intimate local knowledge, and the athleticism to ride a bicycle fast for miles, and jump over fences almost silently and with ease, as well as climb on buildings and the like, a whole new world of possibilities emerges in terms of what you can do that others cannot, or even think of doing.

And bicycles have the added advantage of not displaying a license plate. Much more anonymous, untraceable. We had a guy where I live now who rode a bike and blitz attacked women out walking. They never caught him.

[redding]

Oct 8, 2013 20:16:01 GMT ezraeda said:

Oct 8, 2013 11:49:50 GMT lepke said:

You raise some interesting points, and EAR/ONS was known to steal and ride bicycles. The guy who crashed into the car of the Smiths should definitely be checked out. It is true to say that there are certain problems that have been known to cause blackouts, as well as problematic behaviour.

EAR/ONS was known for having been in good shape, and being able to flee crime scenes at speed, sometimes using bicycles. From personal experience, having been pretty handy on a bicycle myself, regularly riding marathons, getting up to 60mph and so on, I can tell you that when someone reaches that kind of level of fitness, in it's own way a bicycle can be even better than having a car as a getaway vehicle, in suburbia at least.

When I was at my fittest on my bicycle, and in areas that I am very familiar with, where I know many places that cars cannot follow bicycles, like alleys, roads with blocks, footpaths and so on, and I think that it would have been very difficult for a police car to stop me getting away, especially if the police would not be prepared to knock me off my bike with their car.

In the area of London that I come from, from when I was riding my bicycle regularly, I am familiar with footpaths that follow streams, that are behind people's gardens, where most people who live in the area never go from one year to the next, and where the footpaths are usually deserted.

A house that I lived in when I was younger backed on to one of footpaths I speak of, and if had wanted to (at night) I could have put my own bicycle over my back fence, jumped over it myself, ridden a mile or two at night down the footpath, left my bicycle by someone else's back fence, and jumped their fence and into their garden.

I could have done all of that in reverse order on the way back, with probably a 95% chance that no one else was aware of what I had done, and never being in sight of the roads where either of the houses were situated on.

When you have such intimate local knowledge, and the athleticism to ride a bicycle fast for miles, and jump over fences almost silently and with ease, as well as climb on buildings and the like, a whole new world of possibilities emerges in terms of what you can do that others cannot, or even think of doing.

And bicycles have the added advantage of not displaying a license plate. Much more anonymous, untraceable. We had a guy where I live now who rode a bike and blitz attacked women out walking. They never caught him.

True. Especially since he seemed to use a stolen bike most of the time.

[ezraeda]

Oct 8, 2013 20:21:57 GMT redding said:

Oct 8, 2013 20:16:01 GMT ezraeda said:

And bicycles have the added advantage of not displaying a license plate. Much more anonymous, untraceable. We had a guy where I live now who rode a bike and blitz attacked women out walking. They never caught him.

True. Especially since he seemed to use a stolen bike most of the time.

Like the things he used in the bludgeonings....weapons of opportunity. The bikes were transportation of opportunity. Which I think begs the question why someone so obsessive, ritualistic and such a careful planner would leave a crucial factor like escaping the scene to chance like that. Unless he made note of bikes stored in yards throughout the neighborhood during his recon.

[redding]

Oct 8, 2013 20:32:24 GMT ezraeda said:

Oct 8, 2013 20:21:57 GMT redding said:

True. Especially since he seemed to use a stolen bike most of the time.

Like the things he used in the bludgeonings....weapons of opportunity. The bikes were transportation of opportunity. Which I think begs the question why someone so obsessive, ritualistic and such a careful planner would leave a crucial factor like escaping the scene to chance like that. Unless he made note of bikes stored in yards throughout the neighborhood during his recon.

I think that he knew that on any given night he could steal a bike to use.  In the case of the bike stolen from Redding he used it for some time in Sacramento after he stole it in Redding.  People routinely store their bikes on their side yards or in their garage often with the side door unlocked.  It is very easy to find a bike to steal in a good neighborhood.

[thebutler]

Serious cyclists have very defined quads. EAR was described as having large, muscular thighs. This is also around the time the bicycle movie BREAKING AWAY was popular and competitive cycling exploded in popularity.

[redding]

Oct 8, 2013 23:49:20 GMT thebutler said:

Serious cyclists have very defined quads. EAR was described as having large, muscular thighs. This is also around the time the bicycle movie BREAKING AWAY was popular and competitive cycling exploded in popularity.

Actually the EAR was described as having large calves.  No one has ever stated that he had large muscular thighs....as far as I know. EAR was described as having a broad muscular chest, built like a swimmer or a runner.

[thebutler]

Oct 9, 2013 0:08:52 GMT redding said:

Oct 8, 2013 23:49:20 GMT thebutler said:

Serious cyclists have very defined quads. EAR was described as having large, muscular thighs. This is also around the time the bicycle movie BREAKING AWAY was popular and competitive cycling exploded in popularity.

Actually the EAR was described as having large calves.  No one has ever stated that he had large muscular thighs....as far as I know. EAR was described as having a broad muscular chest, built like a swimmer or a runner.

[thebutler]

Yes, I meant legs. I have read that he is described as follows. "Police believe that the East Area Rapist is Caucasian. He has a medium build and stands 5'7" to 5'11". Victims repeatedly described his legs as being "very thick." He would now be over 50 years old."

[tongue]

yeah riding away on bicycle undetected always struck me as unbelievable as well..especially when they started to have police stationed around the area, night vision etc etc...yet, ONS still managed to get out every time..he must have had strict routes he followed and been extra quick...

[lepke]

If you are a fit cyclist, ride at night with no lights on, obviously without making much sound, and are very familiar with all possible routes, especially alleys and footpaths where cars cannot follow, then no one is going to stay with you on foot...

[Drifter]

quote from redding:
"In the case of the bike stolen from Redding he used it for some time in Sacramento after he stole it in Redding."
------------------------------------------------------

So how do you propose that he moved it from Redding to Sacramento?

Well a van, of course.

[rocker]

Or pick-up truck, car trunk, bicycle rack...

[Drifter]

Nov 10, 2013 10:34:12 GMT rocker said:

Or pick-up truck, car trunk, bicycle rack...

Oh but you can't live in a pick-up truck or car trunk.

Did bicycle racks exist back in those days?

Actually, I'm waiting for someone to tell me he rode the bike from Redding to Sac.