Caught on camera: Thief lifts parking sign to steal high-end bike

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A thief stole a high-end bicycle by lifting a parking sign it was attached to out of the ground. Surveillance cameras outside a restaurant in Chicago's West Loop recorded the whole thing.

The Fat Tire electric bike was locked to the pole of a parking sign outside Lena Brava restaurant.

The video shows a man rode up on one bike and lifted the pole out of the ground, freeing the electric bike and another bicycle. He left the sign and the two other bikes on the ground, riding away on the Fat Tire.

No one noticed or said anything.

The electric bike belonged to Stephen Sandoval, a chef at the restaurant.

"What surprises me most is that I literally walked out right after it happened. So that's kind of what's so unfortunate, that I missed him by nearly two minutes. If I would have known that, I would have at least tried to jump in a car and look for him," Sandoval said.

The chef said he bought the bike a week before it was stolen and was looking forward to riding it during the summer.