Pleas delayed in case of trio charged with injuring motorcyclist

By Sean Webby

Mercury News

Two of the Los Gatos residents charged with booby-trapping and badly injuring a neighbor on a motorcycle were in Santa Clara County Superior Court today to face felony charges. But their pleas were put off for a week.

Donald Bryant, 62, Donna Olsen, 46, and Edward Anderson, 48, were arrested and charged earlier this week for the May 6 incident on Lomo Chiquita Road.

Anderson was not in court today. All are expected to enter pleas on May 26.

Each faces up to eight years in prison, if convicted.

The motorcyclist, Robert Barnes, whose face was swollen and scabbed, was in court for the proceeding with his family and friends.

``I'm still in a state of shock,'' Barnes said, outside of court.

Police said the three suspects lay in wait and pulled a rope or a bar across the road as Barnes, a 46-year-old neighbor, rode by on his motorcycle at about 25 mph. Barnes was hurled off his bike and -- after he was brought to the hospital -- spent six days in a coma. He received hundreds of stitches and plates in his jaw.

Barnes and investigators said they knew of no motive for the dangerous trap.

``I don't think it was about dirt bikers,'' Barnes said. ``But I really don't know why this happened.''

Prosecutor Lee Frasier said the suspects believed ``this was their road and their road only.

``There is no justifiable reason to booby trap the path of a motorcycle rider,'' Frasier said. ``It's dangerous and life threatening and the victim in this case is very lucky to be alive.''

In an odd twist, Barnes has reported that his motorcycle was stolen soon after he was injured. A Santa Cruz cycle shop that heard about the theft on the news has offered to replace the high-performance dirt bike.