Police said thieves stole bikes inside and outside the city to sell them at the bodega.
CAMDEN -- If your bicycle was stolen, it may be at the Camden County Police Department.
Police are seeking the owners of 91 bicycles that they believe were stolen over a long period of time and sold to a Camden bodega that would then resell them.
Left to right, Capt. Gabriel Camacho, Sgt. Jannel Simpson, and Capt. Rich Verticelli speak at a press conference about recovered bikes at the Camden County Police Station Dec. 2, 2016. (Camden County Police) Sgt. Jannel Simpson said the department expects to file charges against the owner of the small grocery store at 607 S. Broadway, called Los Amigos 2.
Police discovered the stockpiled bicycles in the basement of the shop in October while responding to a burglary alarm, she said. They were searching the premises for suspects when they found the suspicious cache and alerted detectives, Simpson said.
After investigating, officers determined that the store was the center of an illegal bicycle selling operation that was well-known in some circles. People who needed money -- often the drug-addicted or homeless -- would steal bicycles and the owner of the bodega would pay them up to $20 per bike. At the same time, people in Camden who wanted to buy a bicycle knew that they could get one cheap at the shop.
Simpson said she's never seen an underground bicycle buying and selling operation like this in the city before. "This was over quite some time," she said of the thefts.
The owners of the bicycles may be spread across the area, and not just Camden, she said. Based on the sheer number of bicycles and the knowledge that people come to Camden to buy drugs, she believes people who needed drug money would grab a bike and head to Camden to make a buck and get high.
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"Some are worth a couple hundred dollars," Simpson said. She estimated that one cost someone around $1,000. They include children's bikes, road bikes, mountain bikes, BMX bikes and more.
Also recovered at the store were several iPhones and iPads, a few of which have been returned to their rightful owners based on the products' serial numbers.
Reuniting the bicycles with their owners is more difficult, Simpson said. They tried entering the bicycles' serial numbers into a database of stolen items, but most people don't know their bike's number if or when they report it missing.
Now, police have uploaded photographs of all 91 bicycles onto the department's website, so people who've had a bike stolen can see if there's is among those recovered.
The owners should contact the detective bureau at (856) 757-7420. Before claiming a bike, the owner will be asked to verify ownership by providing a serial number, photograph, receipt or other documentation.
Rebecca Everett may be reached at reverett@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @rebeccajeverett. Find NJ.com on Facebook.