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Escondido: Woman surprises her "guardian angel" with new bike

An Escondido woman is making sure her guardian angel’s good deeds don’t go unnoticed.

ESCONDIDO (NEWS 8) – An Escondido woman is making sure her guardian angel’s good deeds don’t go unnoticed.

Michele Taylor was harassed by vagrants while riding on a path until a good Samaritan pedaled in to help her get through safely.

Michele loves to get on her bike and just pedal way. When she pedals on her bike path in Escondido, she does so under a watchful eye because she had been harassed by a number of troubled characters while on her way from work.

Now, after several months, James Le Roy and Michele meet every day near Broadway and Center City and ride together - looking out for each other.

It all started with a simple request. "I heard this voice behind me. It was moving at the same speed as me. I turned around there she was and she asked me to escort her through the tunnel," said Le Roy.

Michele said she has nick named James her "path angel. He rode the rest of the way with me."

Now with a renewed confidence, Michele is able to enjoy cycling again. Every time she heads home, James is by her side. As a path pro, Michele has kick-started an effort to clean up the pat so that others can feel safe and enjoy their rides. "I want to see people use this for what it was intended for. I am seeing more families out, more bicycles out. One time I counted 22 bicycles," she said.

Why does James, who rides dozens of miles every day, keep up the company? His answer was simple. "I was Boy Scout once."

In light of James' kindness, Michele wanted to repay the favor by surprising him with a brand new electric bike. James was flabbergasted, but it didn't look like the two would put the brakes on their friendship anytime soon.

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