Motorcycles Targeted By Grayson Co. Thieves - KTEN.com - No One Gets You Closer

SHERMAN, TX -- After a rash of thefts, police are warning bikers to lock up or risk losing their beloved motorcycles.

Grayson County lawmen are reporting at least 20 motorcycles stolen recently. In most cases, the bikes are parked in public view at home when someone snatches them.

Sherman resident Cindy Rankin says her ex-husband was left with just a picture he took of his motorcycle, after he came home to find the machine missing two weeks ago.

"When he came home he said, 'Somebody stole my motorcycle!' " says Rankin. "They had to come up in the driveway and take the motorcycle."

According to Sherman police Sgt. Bruce Dawsey, thieves have stolen 16 motorcycles and dirt bikes since May. "Some had the keys, some didn't have the keys some had the forks locked but most didn't

Another man says a thief ditched his motorcycle, which was not running, in the woods near Patricia Drive last month.

Owners are warned to leave their motorcycles in a garage or at least in a well-lit area. "Unless you have it in an enclosed garage, use some kind of locking mechanism, not just the fork locks but actually lock it to a pole," says Dawsey.

On Wednesday, deputies say they found a stolen motorcycle from Fannin County at a house on Pilot Grove Road, and that the VIN plate had been removed and the serial number was scratched off.

They arrested David Hewitt, 31, and also found a police uniform and a bullet proof vest. They are looking into whether there were more stolen bikes on the property.

"Right now we've got the part numbers," says Sgt. Ricky Wheeler. "We're trying to cross reference those with Yamaha to come up with VIN numbers and once we run those VIN numbers we can determine if those are stolen."

Rankin says the bike stolen from her yard wasn't locked. "He had just rode it to work to save on gas and then he didn't drive it the next day for some reason and then didn't lock it up," she says.

Last week, deputies say they found a chop shop with four stolen motorcycles, at a home near Bells. If you have a motorcycle, you're urged to consider adding an alarm, chain, or tracking device to help keep it out of the hands of thieves.