Audio By Carbonatix
Mesa thief Anthony Lopez Rios used a samurai sword in an attempt to steal a guy’s bicycle last night. More laughable than using a martial arts weapon to try to rob a bike, the robbery attempt netted precisely zero bikes — and Rios can now add “failed bike robber” to his lengthy resume of criminal activity.
According to court documents obtained by New Times, Mesa police were dispatched to a bus stop at 1441 East Broadway Road in Mesa about 10 p.m. yesterday in response to an attempted armed robbery.
The victim told officers the assailant, later identified as Rios, approached him and said to hand over his bike or he would “get cut up.” Rios then partially removed the sword from its sheath, apparently to let the victim know he meant business.
The victim positioned the bike in between himself and the sword-wielding
Rios. Luckily, a bus showed up and the victim was able to escape
without getting “cut up” — and without losing his bike.
The victim then called police.
Police canvassed the area looking for a person who matched the
description provided by the victim. That’s when they found Rios
(identified by his Arizona Department of Corrections ID card) — who was
wearing the exact outfit described by the victim — walking in the
middle of the road “yelling and screaming.” He was taken into custody.
Police also spoke to residents in the area, one of whom told officers
two men — one of whom was carrying a samurai sword and matched Rios’
description — walked by his house and asked if they could stash a
bicycle in his carport. The resident told them “no” and to get off of
his property.
Officers ran a records check and found Rios’ address. They went to his
house and met his cousin, who told them Rios had recently taken his
samurai sword, but had since returned it. The cousin was not with Rios
at the time of the failed robbery, police note in Rios’ arrest report.
Rios, who has a long history of theft convictions, was booked into a
Maricopa County jail on one count of armed robbery with a weapon, a
class-two felony.
