Man Cited and Released After 31 Hours Atop Vincent Thomas Bridge

SAN PEDRO (CNS) - A 59-year-old West Covina man was cited today for trespassing and released after climbing atop the Vincent Thomas Bridge and staying there for some 31 hours, shutting down the bridge to traffic.  

Brian Kevin Thomas came down about 1:15 p.m. from a bridge support beam about 350 feet above the roadway, according to a California Highway Patrol press release.  

The CHP started receiving 911 calls about Thomas climbing up the side of the bridge at 6:31 a.m. Friday.  

A CHP spokesman told CNS Thomas has been on the bridge before, but that was not confirmed in the official press release.  

The bridge, which crosses the Los Angeles Harbor and links San Pedro with Terminal Island, was closed in both directions between Ferry Street and Harbor Boulevard all day Friday and much of Saturday. It was reopened about 3:30 p.m., the CHP reported.