Video shows moments leading up to brazen theft at Fresno County home

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Security cameras capture the moments leading up to a theft at Melissa Kollenkark's Fresno County home on June 11th.

It's what they didn't capture that left her shaking.

"He was all the way back to the door, so maybe I just assumed he wanted to get into the house - I didn't know, I had no idea what he wanted," she says.

It was a little after seven and Kollenkark was in her garage.

As she prepared to go inside, a man was dropped off in front of her driveway.

"I heard a noise and I turned around and six feet from me, right at my bicycles, was this man," she said.

She immediately went inside and locked her doors.

Kollenkark watched helplessly from her window as the thief rode off on her $1,500 Sondors electric bicycle.

"He used his presence to intimidate her and get her to run away so he could have at whatever he wanted on that garage," said Fresno County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Tony Botti.

Detectives believe this was a crime of opportunity.

According to investigators, the suspect vehicle was seen circling the neighborhood several times before the theft.

"It was only after hanging around for a little extra time that he saw this bike, probably knew it had some good value to it," he said.

Kollenkark's bike is identical to her husband's, all black with blue rims and wide wheels.

She's now urging people to be aware of their surroundings so they don't fall victim to the same crime.

"I mostly don't want other people to experience this, so even when you are right next to your garage door you need to be careful," she said.

To catch the thief and recover the bike, detectives are asking those living near Rogers and Montecito to share any helpful surveillance video.