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Warning about thieves on bikes prowling Pacific Beach

Residents in Pacific Beach are taking crime fighting into their own hands after cell phone video captured two suspected thieves accused of making off with goods just stolen from a car.

SAN DIEGO (NEWS 8) — Residents in Pacific Beach are taking crime fighting into their own hands after cell phone video captured two suspected thieves accused of making off with goods just stolen from a car.

It happened last Friday during rush hour at the busy intersection of Ingraham Street and Garnet Avenue

News 8's Monique Griego shares more on how neighbors are trying to crack cases like this and warn others, in a Your Stories report.

"The thing that really bothers me is that this is probably the busiest intersection in San Diego," said a man named Craig who shot the video. "It's 5 p.m. in the afternoon on a Friday [in] broad daylight and it's just like, we have no power to do anything anymore."

Craig said not wanting to confront the man, he did what he thought was the next best thing by recording it.

Before he started rolling, Craig says he saw one of the men standing guard near a parked car.

"A guy jumped out of the BMW with a really nice leather briefcase and then I started the video," said Craig.

After the video went up on NextDoor.com - a neighborhood watch app and website - the race was on to find the briefcase's owner.

"When you don't have a victim - you don't have a crime, so police can't do anything," said Neighborhood Watch Organizer Stacey.

Stacey is part of a group of neighbors using social media to take on increasing crime rates in Pacific Beach.

"We're going to start filming, videotaping whatever we see - illegal or suspicious activities - we're going to report everything to police," said Stacey.

Online investigators found the man whose car was broken into; and it turned out thieves had stolen his briefcase, phone and wallet - then used his credit card to make illegal purchases at a nearby bike shop.

He filed a police report and thanks to the new-age neighborhood sleuths, police are investigating.

"We just need to do our diligence and at least, if we catch these people in action, get them off the streets," said Craig.

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