Robber Riding Bicycle Kills Man on Street

A 26-year-old welder was shot and killed in Compton by an armed robber who rode to the crime scene on the handlebars of a bicycle driven by an accomplice, authorities said Friday.

The victim, Ricardo Reyes of Huntington Park, was shot in the 800 block of East Pine Street about 11:20 p.m. Thursday, before he had a chance to hand over money demanded by the robbers, Compton Police Investigator Red Mason said.

Two men rode up Pine Street on a beach-cruiser bicycle while Reyes was talking to a friend on the street beside his car, Mason said. Reyes was waiting outside an apartment complex for a co-worker who had gone inside to meet a woman, he said.

One of the men, armed with a small-caliber rifle, jumped off the handlebars and walked about 10 feet before pointing the weapon at Reyes, Mason said. The gunman shouted, “Give me your money.� Then, before Reyes could respond, the robber shot him in the throat from a distance of about 30 feet, the investigator said.

Witness Threw Bottle

The gunman was attempting to reload when a witness threw a beer bottle from across the street to distract him, allowing Reyes’ friend to escape, Mason said. Apparently startled, the robber jumped back onto the handlebars and the rider pedaled away, he said.

No arrests have been made, police said.

Witnesses told officers that the two assailants watched the victim from a distance before approaching him on the bike, Mason said.

Reyes, who had $202 in his pocket, was pronounced dead at Martin Luther King Jr./Drew Medical Center at 12:10 a.m.

“As unusual as this seems, it appears that robbery was the motive,� Mason said. “The poor guy never had a chance to do anything.�