Theft victim tries to take bike back, gets attacked with machete: Police
PHOTO: Eureka Police Department
EUREKA — A local man has been arrested after allegedly stealing a man’s bike while threatening him with a machete.
Police say that on Wednesday, October 2, 41-year-old Brian Ray Mello had approached the victim on the 1500 block of Broadway and brandished a machete, then stole his bicycle.
The victim caught up with Mello a few blocks over shortly afterward and tried to take it back, to which Mello responded by striking him with the machete in full view of a city Code Enforcement Officer, who in turn called police.
Fortunately, the victim was not injured.
Following the call from the Code Enforcement officer, police responded and took Mello into custody on charges of robbery and assault with a deadly weapon.
He has since been booked at the Humboldt County Correctional Facility on $55,000 bail.
