E! Security: How We Tricked Seacrest's Alleged Stalker

The guards told the suspect Ryan was on his way to the lobby while they waited for police to arrive

We E! Onliners are happy to know that the security guards downstairs are on their toes.

Guard Oscar Serrano tells E! News that an officer recognized the big-and-tall man apprehended earlier today in our lobby trying to get to Ryan Seacrest from a watch-list photo, and they immediately called the cops.

"He's about 6 foot, 4 inches, 200 pounds," Serrano said. "One of the officers called LAPD and I was monitoring the suspect."

They then tricked suspect Chidi Uzomah Jr. into sticking around by telling him Seacrest was on his way out to meet him.

Well, the E! News anchor, who was in his KIIS-FM studio at the time, may have been dressed as a CHiPs officer for Halloween, but he wasn't coming out.

Uzomah, who was carrying a pocket knife, "wasn't aggressive," Serrano said. "We stalled him, told him Ryan Seacrest was coming."

He got "nowhere near" Seacrest, he added. "Made it to the lobby but not to the building where we work." When LAPD arrived, they handcuffed Uzomah and searched his person.

Uzomah was hauled in for questioning and, according to a source, is going to remain in custody over the weekend.

Ryan, meanwhile, has sicced his attorney on the case. Lawyer Blair Berk filed for a temporary restraining order against Uzomah this afternoon.