Man charged with bike theft in front of courthouse after a hearing

A man leaving a hearing on a charge of carrying an open alcohol container in El Monte, Calif., was arrested minutes later for allegedly stealing a bicycle outside the courthouse, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Police were alerted by a postal worker who said Hector Pineda, 54, had allegedly destroyed a wrought-iron fence to remove the locked bike.
Initially, the newspaper says, Pineda argued that he owned the bicycle and had forgotten his key.  But he was booked on suspicion of felony vandalism and petty theft after a Covina resident showed up to identify the bike.
The quick-witted Pineda then told police he was an unemployed welder and asked if he could bid on the repair job for the mangled fence.
There was no word on the answer, the Times notes.