Post Falls boy’s stolen dirt bike held precious link to father

The stolen dirt bike meant something far beyond a child’s ride around the neighborhood. For 5-year-old Zealand Raymond, it was one of the few tangible links he had to his father, who also rode dirt bikes when he was young.

The bike was taken overnight April 12 from Zealand’s apartment complex in Post Falls, turning a routine property theft into a painful family loss. Jacinta Raymond said her son had wanted to ride for most of his life, just like his father, and that the beginner bike carried that connection in a way a five-year-old could feel even if he could not fully explain it.

The loss has pushed the family toward a replacement effort. A GoFundMe titled Help Jacinta’s Son Replace His Stolen Dirt Bike had raised $950 by Friday, and the campaign says the money will go directly toward buying another dirt bike. It also says a friend has offered access to secure storage so any new bike can be kept safer in the future.

The theft lands in a county where property crime remains a major part of the public-safety picture. Idaho State Police’s 2024 Crime in Idaho report lists Kootenai County with 7,079 total crimes, including 4,477 property crimes. Within that total, the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office accounted for 2,130 reported crimes and the Post Falls Police Department for 1,526.

Idaho law also shows how theft cases can hinge on the value of what was taken. Theft involving property worth $1,000 or less is generally treated as misdemeanor petit theft, while grand theft can be charged as a felony. Under Idaho Code, certain grand theft cases can bring up to 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

For Jacinta Raymond, though, the real damage is harder to measure. A small dirt bike was supposed to help her son hold onto a father he barely remembers. Instead, it disappeared overnight, leaving a gap that no replacement can fully close.