When thieves stole Torrence Blake Jr.'s dirt bike from his family's shed, they not only stole a piece of property. They also shattered the young man's hope of riding the bike in competition this upcoming weekend.
- Blake Jr., 7, has been riding motorized cycles since he was 4
- Father rewarded Blake Jr. for good grades with the bike
- Have information about the theft? Contact Tampa Police
Blake Jr., just seven years old, received the Kawasaki 65 dirt bike at Christmas.
"I thought that Christmas Day was the best day ever," Blake Jr. said.
Blake Jr. has been riding motorized cycles since he was four years old, according to his father, Torrence Blake Sr.
Thus, having to tell his son the dirt bike was gone he said was one of the hardest things he's ever had to do.
"It was sad for him. I had to be the one to break the bad news that somebody had broken in and taken it," Blake Sr. said.
Blake Sr. said when he came home from work the night of April 8 he noticed the shed in their backyard looked odd.
"The thief, what they did was cut the lock in half, because they couldn't get it off, and then they gained entry into the shed," he said.
When Blake Sr. looked inside the shed, he found the dirt bike, valued at almost $4,000, was missing.
"They only took the dirt bike, so it had to be somebody who was watching him," Blake Sr. explained. "Somebody young that was watching him and their main goal was the bike."
Blake Jr. was hoping to compete in his first race on the new bike this weekend, but after the theft, he's sidelined indefinitely.
"It's super sad, because I really wanted to race," Blake Jr. said.
The aspiring racer and his dad are both holding out hope the bike will be found.
"If it's somebody young, they're probably going to try to sell it on the street or maybe offer it online," Blake Sr. said. "I've been looking online hoping it will turn up so I can call the police and have them go check it out."
Tampa Police is investigating the theft. Detectives are checking with local dealerships and also online, hoping it will turn up.
Anyone with information is asked to call Tampa Police.