Atlanta's Magnet Man asks for help finding unique stolen bike

Magnet Man's bike stolen

Alex Benigno, aka the Atlanta Magnet Man, is asking the public for help finding his bike after he says it was stolen this week.

ATLANTA - An Atlanta man who has used his exercise routine to make things safer for local motorists is asking the public for help finding his stolen bicycle.

Alex Benigno is known as the Atlanta Magnet Man, and his bike has some unique features.

The backstory:

Using his tricked-out bicycle trailer equipped with magnets, Benigno picks up the nails and screws left on the street that could mean serious damage to car tires. He has become very popular online for his efforts to save Atlanta drivers the headache of a flat tire. 

This project started after he saw a giant bag of screws spilled in a parking lot one day. He says he waited hours for it to be cleaned up, but nobody ever came. So he got work, but thought there had to be a better way.

"It's nobody's job to take care of this. It's just, it's the job of our tires to pick it all up," Benigno told FOX 5's Tyler Fingert last year. "That doesn't square well with me."

Meet the Atlanta Magnet Man Alex Benigno

Alex Benigno, better known online as the Atlanta Magnet Man, is using his form of exercise to help motorists from getting a flat.

Since he started his efforts nearly two years ago, he says he has collected more than 2 tons of metal in the Atlanta area.

"It's extremely satisfying to know that none of these nails and screws are going to be hurting anyone's tires, and not going to be ruining anybody's day," Benigno said.

His efforts have gained him a following on social media, with many people following what he picks up on his Instagram.

What they're saying:

It was on his social media that Benigno shared news about the theft, saying that his $3,000 bike had been stolen on Tuesday night. He described the bike as an orange Elliptigo without a seat. The bike also has a trailer connected to the back wheel.

"This bicycle is very difficult to ride and is a real workout so hopefully he didn’t get very far," Benigno wrote.

He also told FOX 5 Atlanta during an interview that his heart dropped when he realized what had happened. He also talked about the support from the communityu.

"The outpouring of support from the community is just absolutely amazing," Beningo said. "It's unlike anything I've ever experienced."

The bike was stolen near Ralph McGill and Freedom Parkway in Atlanta's Old 4th Ward, according to Benigno. He believes it should be easy to spot.

Such a unique bicycle with not having a seat that I thought it would be really easy for anybody to notice and I never expected to get half of Atlanta paying attention to this," he said.

Benigno also told FOX 5 that his bike rack on his vehicle was damaged when the bike was stolen.

After his post on social media, Beningo said someone actually sent him money, which shocked him because he just wanted help finding his bike.

He says for now he will use a backup bike so he can continue his work.

"They took something and pried it up," he said.

What you can do:

 If you have any information that could help with the search, you can message Benigno on his Instagram.