Man trying to steal bike claims he was doing a ‘community service’

On November 13, at about 3:51 p.m., a traffic services officer was canvassing Lot 5 South, located at 2600 Barnard Way, for parking violations when he observed a male acting suspiciously as he loitered near a bike rack. As he got closer to the male suspect, later identified as Eric Joseph Bryant, the TSO could see Bryant was trying to sever a bike lock with a pair of bright yellow bolt cutters. When Bryant realized he was being watched, he stepped away from the lock, threw the bolt cutters behind the driver seat of a silver Chrysler Town Car parked nearby, hopped in and drove away. The TSO alerted police officers to the nature of the crime, the vehicle's license plate, and Bryant's direction of travel. The officers located Bryant eastbound on Ocean Park Boulevard and pulled him over. Without any questioning, Bryant spontaneously told the officers he was not trying to steal any bicycles. He claimed he was doing a “community service” by removing what he referred to as a “deadlock” on the bike rack. The officers located the bolt cutters in the back of the vehicle. The TSO identified Bryant as the subject attempting to steal the bicycle at the beach, and officers took him into custody. Before he was transported to the jail, an assisting officer located the bicycle rack and the mangled bicycle lock. Despite the suspect's arguments to the contrary, the partially cut lock was securing a red mountain bike to the rack (not a deadlock like the suspect claimed). Bryant, 40, of Santa Monica was booked for attempted petty theft and had bail set at $1,000.