First check the dumpster. Chances are they know your kid and think very low of him, making the dumpster a very likely possibility. Also check to make sure they didn't ghost ride your child's bike off a nearby roof or other steep drop/incline. If there are woods nearby, check them. If its not there you may need to stake out a location between the parking lot and play area in your car for a couple of weeks while listening to the radio, have a camera. Once you have identified the possible suspects in the area you can begin the investigation. Buy some all black clothing. A hoodie is perfect. Follow the suspects to their homes. Know their patterns. If they are on upper levels you can repel from the roof with simple grappling equipment. Be stealthy. Buy some lock picking tools and practice. When you are certain they are away from their homes you can search them for the bike. If the bike isn't present you may need to search alternate locations available to the suspects. Look them up on facebook. Look for traces of address information of the possible acomplices. These will have to be negated from the search manually using the processes already stated. Again learn their patterns and conduct the searches. As time goes by, the possibility of recovering the bike begins to narrow. But don't give up. You must continue in your efforts. You can post a picture of your bike on lamp posts and trees in neighboring villages and inside stores and post offices. Go on long drives searching for the bike. You can call out while on these drives alerting others of your search for the bike. Be vigilant. As time goes by there is an increasing possibility that others who know of the bike theft will come forward of the crime. Some may be overcome by guilt early while others may give death bed confessions. I hope you find your bike, and that the advice that I have given you will help.