Super Sleuth Wednesday – Unlucky Cyclist

freeimages.com, photo by Phillip Collier

Do you all remember Encyclopedia Brown? In the early 1960s Donald J. Sobol began a book series about a 10-year-old detective and his spunky side-kick Sally Kimball. Leroy–as only his mother called him–could solve any crime for 25 cents, no crime too small.

I used to devour these books. Not only did I love the idea of kid detectives, but I always learned something new with the solving of each crime. Encyclopedia’s nemesis was Bugs Meany, who always got caught stealing another kid’s pizza or prize. No criminal was as unlucky as Bugs. Which is why today’s story reminds me of him.

In San Francisco, a thief on his bike peddled up to a woman holding an iPhone. He snatched it out of her hand and took off down the street. But he didn’t get far. He picked the wrong woman to rob. Why?

1. She was demonstrating the phone’s newest device: GPS tracking. She quickly tracked him and the police easily nabbed the crook and returned her phone.
2. She was a self-defense instructor with a black belt in karate. And she immediately used her moves on him, sending him flying off his bike. Then she calmly picked up her phone and went on her way.
3. She was using a live-streaming service when the phone was stolen. The thief looked into the camera, and hundreds of people saw him and identified him to police, who returned the woman’s phone to her.

How do you think the unlucky thief was caught and the woman’s phone returned? Leave your guess below for a chance to be this month’s Super Sleuth!