Aragon Klockars, sitting comfortably in his e-trike which was stolen more than a year ago and only recently recovered. (Spencer Sterritt/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Spencer Sterritt

back in the saddle

Stolen e-trike returned to semi-paralyzed Nanaimo man 1 year after being taken

Oct 19, 2019 | 5:41 AM

NANAIMO — Bikes are unfortunately stolen in Nanaimo every day, but rarely are they found or returned. Especially not one year after being stolen.

Aragon Klockars told NanaimoNewsNOW he was so happy he couldn’t think straight when Nanaimo RCMP officers arrived at his door in early October with his electric tricycle. It was stolen around the same time last year from his mid-Nanaimo home.

They’d discovered it in a storage locker, along with several other stolen guns and goods.

Klockars said he was shocked the bike hadn’t been stripped for valuable parts, such as the battery and tires.

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It was his only mode of transportation.

Klockars is paralyzed on one side of his body after a motorcycle accident three decades ago.

“I’m by nature a little introverted and less likely or able to put myself out there, but this gets me out there,” Klockars said. “Everybody sees me. It makes me more able to interact with people.”

Without his e-bike, he wouldn’t be able to visit his Tai Chi mentors who help him remain physically active and in good health.

His family organized a GoFundMe campaign for Klockars shortly after his bike was stolen. It managed to pay for most of the costs in replacing his e-bike, but it still took several months for a replacement to arrive.

“In that four months, I did notice my condition deteriorating quite a bit,” he said.

He now has two e-bikes, each with various assets.

“The new one is great for urban transit, getting me around town on paved roads. The old one, with fat tires, lets me ride on trails and off-road.”

His old bike was refurbished by Rock City Cycles, which was paid for by the Nanaimo RCMP.

“The officers were aware of how much the bike meant to him and were just glad they could do something to right a wrong,” Cst. Gary O’Brien said.

The investigation into the stolen goods continues.

O’Brien said charges are expected against an adult man for property-related offences.

spencer@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @spencer_sterrit