COURTESY PHOTO
This 2016 Suzuki DRZ-400SM was stolen.
By GAYLA CAWLEY
LYNN — A U.S. Navy veteran’s motorcycle was stolen right out of his driveway on Memorial Day, the holiday that honors fallen armed service members.
Jeff Dahlberg, 36, lives in Lynn with his wife, Lindsay. The pair spent much of Memorial Day weekend away from home, but returned Monday evening and Jeff’s motorcycle, a 2016 Suzuki DRZ-400SM, was still in their driveway. He said in a phone interview that the bike was stolen sometime between 6-7 p.m. on Monday and 5:30 a.m. on Tuesday, when he went to take it to work.
“I would just like to find the person who took the bike and have it returned, no questions asked,” 35-year-old Lindsay Dahlberg wrote in a Facebook post. “We can’t afford to buy him another one, but we can ask for it to be brought back. Please help. I think since he has done so much for the country already, this is just a horrible, nasty thing to do on Memorial Day, of all days — a day when he should have been resting and remembering those he lost.”
Lindsay said there are multiple ways people would know their house belongs to a veteran, including a family car that touts the ship he served on, the USS Denver, along with his machinist mate status on the windows.
Jeff said he thought someone was playing on a joke on him when he noticed his bike was missing, but then he realized that it was really gone. He said there hadn’t ever been any issues in their neighborhood. They live around the Diamond District, right off of Eastern Avenue.
The pair said packages often get delivered to their home and have never been taken. Neighbors help dig each other out during snowstorms, Jeff added.
“It’s just a really strange situation for us,” Lindsay said. “We were really surprised.”
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Jeff served for eight years in the U.S. Navy. His oldest of three daughters was born the day before 9/11, and he didn’t come back until she was walking. He has PTSD, arthritis, back problems, leg problems, hearing issues, and even fought paralysis to get to walking again, Lindsay said. Jeff said he has been deployed three times, including time spent in Afghanistan and Iraq.
“However, this past Monday, someone decided to steal his motorcycle he had been working on for months to get into condition to enjoy this summer,” Lindsay wrote on Facebook. “This is his only real joy in life besides his children. He was supposed to travel with my brother for a weeklong trip on Friday, which he has now canceled. We would love help in figuring out who would do this.”
She said her husband and brother were preparing to leave for Tennessee, on a motorcycle trip her brother goes on every year, to the Tail of the Dragon.
Jeff said there was a time period when he didn’t own anything besides a bike, adding that motorcycles seem like an odd hobby for New England. He lived in San Diego for 10 years, where he was based.
The couple, who have been together for a decade and married for five years, met in San Diego, when Lindsay was in law and graduate school. She later returned home to Massachusetts after finishing school, and the pair eventually settled in Lynn.
They are hopeful the bike will be returned. They’ve shared their story on social media and there is a Craigslist posting for the stolen bike. Anyone who has seen or found the motorcycle is urged to respond to the ad or contact the Lynn Police Department.
Jeff said he’s hoping for the bike to show up and not be in horrible shape. He filed a police report and has contacted his insurance company. He said a friend of his recommended sending an email to local motorcycle shops to give them a heads-up about a stolen bike, and one of the New England motorcycle dealers responded that they had shared the information with all of their chains.
“Hopefully, it turns up,” Jeff said.
Gayla Cawley can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @GaylaCawley.