On May 15 at about 2:30 p.m., Santa Monica police officers patrolling the 1600 block of 5th Street observed a subject riding his bicycle on the sidewalk. When officers contacted the subject, later identified as James Moran, a 33-year-old transient, he stated that he was unaware he could not ride on the sidewalk.
Moran went on to tell officers that his wallet was stolen; therefore, he had no identification on his person. In his possession, Moran had a messenger bag which contained a laptop in it. When questioned about the ownership of the laptop, he stated that he had purchased it two years ago.
Upon further inspection, officers noticed that the contact information did not match that of Moran. With information found, the victim was contacted. The victim confirmed that the laptop and messenger bag had been stolen from his vehicle the day before.
Moran was booked for being in possession of stolen property and riding a bicycle on the sidewalk. Bail was set at $20,000.
