Missing wheels more than just a stolen bike

Whatever limitations he has, they haven't kept 28-year-old Tyrone Schultz from giving all he's got.

But now somebody's taken from him.

After coming home from his job as a maintenance man at Carl's Jr. on Thursday afternoon, he left his bike in his back yard on Champion Drive and went inside to watch TV. When he came back out a couple hours later, his pride and joy - a midnight-blue P.K. Ripper BMX bike - was gone.

Stolen.

Dan Turner of the Bicycle Authority originally sold Schultz the $1,300 bike. Piece by piece as Schultz saved up the money from his job.

"It probably took him about a year to save up and get all the pieces to put it together," he said. "I just can't imagine what kind of a grimy jerk would do something like this."

"Tyrone's just a really good person," said Turner, who notes that Schultz volunteers a lot of his time at local BMX tracks, sweeping up and helping with the starting gate.

"He's always willing to give. He's always ready to help out. You just hate to see something like this happen to a guy like that," Turner said.

Schultz got into BMX through his friend Jessie, who was killed while riding along Highway 50 in 1999.

Schultz was also a regular volunteer during the construction of the C Hill flag.

"Maybe they'll just turn the bike in to the police station," Turner said. "That would be the best-case scenario."

If his bike is recovered, and as long as it's not damaged, Schultz said he won't press charges.

"I just want my bike back," he said.

Schultz is a regular at all the Sept. 11 ceremonies, firefighter's memorials and police events around town, where he often attaches an American flag to the back of his bike to pay respect.

He had hoped to one day take his bike to New York City and retire the flag at Ground Zero.

He says he can't think of why somebody might have taken his bike other than to get back at him because he helps the police out and reports crimes when he sees them committed.

"Some of the people think I'm a narc," he said.

He may have some enemies, but Tyrone thinks he also has a lot of friends around town.

"Everybody knows me," he said. "Everybody waves when they see me ride by."

-- Contact reporter Peter Thompson at pthompson@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1215.

You can help

Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Tyrone Schultz's bike should call Carson City Sheriff's Office at 887-2500.