Following the Douglas Fourth of July Parade on Wednesday, 7-year-old Alex Weiss leaned his award-winning bike against a fence near the Montessori School.
Weiss had won first place in the boys’ division of the Most Decorated Bicycle competition at the parade, as his TykesBykes bicycle had been equipped with two American flags, multiple balloons, an American flag wind spinner, red and blue streamers and a stuffed bald eagle at the front.
He and his family had spent around four hours working on it, his mother Niki said in an interview Friday. Niki said they had forgotten the bike lock at home that day, but she wasn’t worried when they leaned the small bike up against the fence to go walk around for a while.
“It’s such a small bike, in my mind I thought, ‘Who’s going to steal a kid’s bike that’s all decorated for the Fourth of July?’” Niki said.
When they got back a little while later, though, the bike was gone. Alex’s helmet was missing too.
“He cried,” Niki said of her son’s reaction. “We wandered around for quite a while, hoping it had just been moved.”
They still couldn’t find it, though, and ended up reporting it stolen to the Juneau Police Department on Friday. Niki said she doesn’t think an adult or even a teenager can ride the small bike, which has 16-inch wheels and is colored orange underneath the Fourth of July decorations.
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Along with his first-place prize, Alex was given $5 and rode his patriotic bike in the Douglas Fourth of July Parade. It was the first time Alex had participated in the contest, Niki said, and he was excited to express both his patriotism and creativity in the event.
Alex likes to be involved in school, Niki said, and has become quite patriotic. As for the $5 prize, Niki said, she thinks her son will tuck it away responsibly.
“He’ll likely save it,” she said. “He likes to save his money.”
• Contact reporter Alex McCarthy at 523-2271 or amccarthy@juneauempire.com. Follow him on Twitter at @akmccarthy.
