City College police arrested a man on Feb. 25 as he attempted to steal a student’s bicycle from a bike rack in front of the T building, reported College Police Sgt. Louis M. Zizzo.

Police identified the thief as Genearo Berber, 39, a non-City student. Zizzo said Berber has a criminal history and he is believed to be one of the main players in the thefts of bikes around campus.

Berber was seen by police wondering around the bike rack, but it was when he cut the lock cable and tried to flee that he was apprehended.

After campus police read him his Miranda Rights, Berber decided not to give any information about him working with other thieves or not, said Zizzo.

“We were so happy to find him,” Zizzo expressed. “We were getting frustrated with all the bicycle thefts on campus. Knock on wood, there’s been no other bike thefts reported after his arrest.”

Berber is currently incarcerated in a Downtown San Diego jail awaiting trial.

The student whose bike was saved from being stolen said she is grateful campus police were able to stop the suspect as her bicycle is her main mode of transportation, according to Zizzo.

No contact was made with the victim due to a privacy act.

City Student Jason Crane, who rides his bicycle to school everyday, said finding out about the thefts is “a cause for concern” because he doesn’t own a car.

“Although I don’t wish for anybody’s bike to be stolen, I would tell people not to bring an $800 bike to school,” Crane said. “It’s like asking for the bike to be stolen.”

During the first two weeks of school, campus police reported that eight bicycles were lifted from racks and other areas around campus. Four more bicycles were stolen since those initial reports; only two have been recovered as of March 11.

Campus police said they have increased patrolling where bicycles are parked and locked.

“Students should remain vigilant of their property,” Zizzo advised. He also urges students to “report suspicious people loitering around bicycle areas or if their bicycle has been stolen.”

To report a bicycle theft contact College Police Dispatch at 619-388-6405 or go to the police station located in room T-211.