The saga of Ian Hespelt, the Critical Mass cyclist who struck a Zipcar with his U-Lock during an altercation with its driver, is nearly over, as he was sentenced Monday after agreeing to a plea deal in June.
Surely you know the tale by now: During the August, 2015 Critical Mass ride, Hespelt was video recorded as the driver of a Zipcar piloted the vehicle into the middle of the cycling event and eventually eased, it appears, into a bike.
In response, a cyclist later identified as Hespelt struck the vehicle with a U-Lock, causing about $1,400 in damage to the Zipcar, prosecutors say. Hespelt rode off, and was arrested in September on suspicion of vandalism, false imprisonment, assault with a deadly weapon, and maliciously and willfully throwing a substance at a vehicle, after police recognized him as he rode outside a Billy Joel concert at AT&T Park. His waxed mustache, which surely assisted in his identification, held up perfectly for his booking photo.
After an initial not guilty plea, Hespelt reached an agreement with prosecutors in June, and pleaded guilty to felony assault and vandalism charges. He was back ini court Monday to receive his sentence: The six days he spent in jail at the time of his arrest, three years of probation, a 16-week anger management course, and $1,842.72 in restitution.
But as you'll recall from the first paragraph of this report, I said the saga was nearly over... and Hespelt defense attorney Justin Goodwin is already saying that his client will be back in court early next year.
“We will come back in six months," Goodwin tells CBS 5, "after he completes an anger management course." At that time, Goodwin says, they will "ask the court to reduce [the charges] to misdemeanors."
Previously: Mustachioed Road Rage Cyclist Ian Hespelt Pleads Guilty To Assault And Vandalism Charges