Stolen motorcycles found in Lake Austin

AUSTIN (KXAN) - More than a dozen motorcycles stolen over a number of years have all been found in the very same place.

In a spot that took a recreational diver to find them.

Austin police received a tip from that diver of several parts sitting on the floor of Lake Austin beneath the Pennybacker Bridge.

“It appears they have been discarded from atop the bridge based on where we they are finding the parts,” said Detective Brent Mullinix with the APD Auto Theft Unit.

Mullinix said that parts to 15 motorcycles, one reported stolen as far back as 2005, have been recovered by the Department of Public Safety Dive Team.

The parts include a rusted out engine and several body frames.

Motorcycle thieves will strip a stolen motorcycle for valuable parts and discard the rest according to Mullinix.

“This is a good indication of what happens to those motorcycles that get stolen,” said Mullinix. “Based on what we are seeing, it is obvious it was someone’s pattern or some group’s pattern.”

The dive team has been searching the area beneath the bridge since Monday and will return on Thursday.

The owners who reported the motorcycle stolen will be contacted, but Mullinix said environmental concerns are also a reason why they want all the parts recovered.

“We need to remove all the stuff from the bottom for the safety of other people and the environment.”