KATY MAGAZINE NEWS
February 11, 2020
By Natalie Cook Clark
A Katy mom is reaching out to the community to help find her son’s stolen bike. The bike holds sentimental value as it was the last gift the boy’s dad gave him before he passed away.
UPDATE (March 4, 2020:) The bike was found! Update coming.
An old picture of Gage and Scott Dukat. Photo courtesy of Jodi Dukat.
Bike Stolen From Taylor High School
Gage Dukat, a sophomore at Taylor High School, would ride his bike to school every day. But the bike meant more than transportation, it was the last gift his father gave him. There wasn’t a holiday or reason for the gift, just something nice that Scott Dukat wanted to do for his son.
Bike Was Last Gift From Dad
Scott Dukat died suddenly when his son was 12 years old. The bike has been a symbol that Gage associated with his father.
On November 21 around 11 a.m., the bike was stolen from a bike rack at Taylor High School. The Dukats have been working with the Katy ISD Police Department to try and find the stolen bike, an orange and black Trek 3500.
“The leads have dried up, yet my heart still breaks,” says Jodi Dukat, Gage’s mom. “As a mom, it's my job to protect my children and in this instance, I feel like I've somehow failed him.”
A Theft of Opportunity
“The bike wasn’t locked up,” says Jodi. “This is a conversation we’ve had a lot and I know from now on he will always lock up a bike. The bike was parked on the end of the rack and it was easy to see that it wasn’t locked. I think this is why it was targeted. It was an easy steal.”
Potential Suspect Caught on Camera
The Katy ISD Police did get a picture of a potential suspect, but any other leads that came in were dead ends. Now Jodi is sharing her story with the community hoping that someone will know something that can help them get the bike back.
According to Jodi, this individual with the bike was last seen riding it into the neighborhood across from Hayes Elementary.
After sharing her story on social media, a neighbor came forward and donated a bike that Gage now rides to school.
“The donation was unexpected and so kind and thoughtful,” says Jodi. “We still hope to find the bike he had from his father though. To us it’s like missing a piece of Scott.”
“First and foremost, Katy ISD would like to extend our deepest sympathies to the family,” says Maria DiPetta, Manager for Katy ISD Media Relations and Multimedia. “The Katy ISD Police Department opened a police report and are investigating the stolen bicycle that held sentimental value to a student at Taylor High School.”
“We reached out to him and told him that he could post flyers on the appropriate boards at school,” says DiPetta. “Katy ISD Police did add the bike on the Statewide Database. This means that if someone tries to sell the bike anywhere in Texas it will be flagged in the system.”
Family Will Not Press Charges
“If someone comes forward with the bike, I will not press charges,” says Dukat. “We just so badly want that bike back. I’ve been losing sleep over this and pray that someone will know something.”
Jodi and Scott were divorced at the time of his death. “He was the kind of dad that always put Gage first,” says Jodi. “He was an incredible dad and loved being able to give Gage that bike.”
If you have any additional information regarding this case, please contact the Katy ISD Police at 281-237-4000.
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