A 6-year-old boy was riding through Berlin's Tiergarten park when a 39-year-old woman allegedly pushed him off. According to police, she then made off with the bike before she was tracked down by his parents.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/P. Zinken
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A woman in Berlin pushed a 6-year-old child off his bike and then stole it over the weekend, police have said.
The boy was riding through Tiergarten, a large and popular park near the city center, when he was allegedly attacked.
The incident happened at about 7 p.m. The injured child ran home to his parents, who searched the surrounding area and found his bike and the alleged offender.
Police then arrested the 39-year-old suspect. They are investigating further.
Cycling capital Münster
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Crime down in Germany
Despite the theft, German government statistics show crime dropped in the country last year to the lowest level in decades.
The theft rate in Berlin decreased somewhat in 2018, official statistics showed. Property offenses still represent the greatest proportion of reported crimes in the German capital, but they have been steadily decreasing over the past five years.
Bike thefts represented about 14% of such crimes, with about 30,000 cases in 2018.
In 2017, the largest proportion of bike thefts occurred in the Mitte area of Berlin, followed by Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, Pankow and Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf.
Tiergarten is one of the largest urban parks in Germany, covering 210 hectares (520 acres), surpassed only by Berlin's Tempelhofer Feld and Munich's Englischer Garten.
In Berlin, there is a bicycle store on every second corner. DW's Stuart Braun gets on his own bike to tour the city's quirky holes in the wall that sell two-wheelers, repair them, and sometimes just put them on display.
Image: DW/S. Braun
A passion for wheels
In Berlin, there's a bicycle store on every second corner. DW's Stuart Braun gets on his own bike to tour the city's quirky holes in the wall that sell two-wheelers, repair them, and sometimes just put them on display. This shop, Radlust, is the lovechild of Kreuzberg squatter/activists who've been revolutionizing Berlin's streets with new and used Dutch bikes since 1981.
Image: DW/S. Braun
The early days
A homemade cargo bike was Radlust founder Johann C. Watenberg's vehicle of choice. He's pictured here in the early 1980s crusing around the Berlin district of Kreuzberg.
Image: Radlust
Do it yourself
The shop Pedalkraft (pedal power) is a Kreuzberg classic where customers can always borrow tools to make repairs themselves or affix the spare parts they've purchased in the store.
Image: DW/S. Braun
Ribbit!
Froschrad (frog wheel) began life as a used bike shop in 1997 before the owner, unimpressed by the latest bike brands, created the StadtRad, a strong, stylish bike model suited to the streets of Berlin. It comes complete with a frog logo, of course.
Image: DW/S. Braun
Treasures in the cellar
Tucked away behind the old Tempelhof airport, Fietswinkel is a relaxed workshop with a multilingual staff that has often got me back on my bike for minimal cost. Owner Wolfgang set it up for no money and only sells second-hand bikes created out of the old parts that fill his basement.
Image: DW/S. Braun
Artifacts and accessories
The basement turned workshop at Fahrradsalon is full of all imaginable kinds of bicycle-themed paraphernalia.
Image: DW/S. Braun
A piece of the past
Classic racing bikes dating back to the 1960s line the wall at the Glücksvelo shop in Berlin's Neukölln district.
Image: DW/S. Braun
Uncommon treasures
A variety of rare spare parts can be found on the the shelves at Glücksvelo as well.
Image: DW/S. Braun
The community
In Berlin, cyclists stick together.
Image: DW/S. Braun
Earth bikes
Established five years ago by a Brazilian and former East Berliner, Green Go Garage has been helping Berliners - and increasing numbers of tourists - stay mobile the ecological way.
Image: DW/S. Braun
Viva Italia
A shot of java can't hurt when it comes to human-powered transportation. Classic Italian bikes and espresso are combined here at Keirin, a hub for cycle enthusiasts.
Image: DW/S. Braun
On display
Keirin's showroom is actually more of a museum than a bike shop. Its expertly-equipped workshop has been keeping Berlin's two-wheelers turning since 2004.
