Tracking Device Leads Boca Raton Cops to E-Bike Theft Suspect

John Mario Digiovanni (Photo: Palm Beach County Jail)

An e-bike theft in Boca Raton was quickly solved after the victim used an electronic tracking device to help police locate the suspect, according to a police report filed in court this week.

Police said the incident began when the victim reported that an electric bicycle valued at about $1,500 had been stolen from an apartment complex on NW 20th Street sometime between April 23 and the early morning hours of April 25. The victim told police the bicycle had been secured with a lock but was equipped with a tracking device, which continued to transmit its location after the theft.

Using that signal, officers were able to narrow the location of the bicycle to an area near SW 1st Avenue in Boca Raton on the evening of April 25. While conducting surveillance, an officer reported seeing a man later identified as John Mario Digiovanni, 40, leaving an apartment unit and riding a bicycle matching the stolen bike’s description.Police say Digiovanni allegedly rode through the apartment complex and into a nearby parking lot, where he attempted to conceal himself behind parked vehicles. When an officer exited a patrol vehicle and ordered him to stop, Digiovanni allegedly said, “I’m not stopping for shit,” before dropping the bicycle and fleeing on foot.

He was quickly apprehended after a short chase, according to the report. Investigators said the bicycle’s serial number had been removed and identifying logos had been spray-painted over, but the victim later confirmed it was the stolen property.

Digiovanni faces charges of grand theft between $750 and $5,000 and resisting an officer without violence. Authorities credited the tracking device with enabling a rapid response and recovery, noting that the real-time location data allowed officers to locate the suspect and stolen property within hours. Digiovanni was later released from the Palm Beach County Jail on $6,000 combined bond for the two charges.