The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office charged a Simi Valley man, 58, with multiple felony offenses including suspected attempted murder, stemming from a May 27 incident where he allegedly crashed his SUV into a closed donut shop.
The man has been charged with attempted murder of a peace officer, assault upon a peace officer, three counts of felony vandalism and two counts of battery on a peace officer or nurse, according to a DA’s office news release.
The man faces several special allegations and aggravating factors, including use of a deadly weapon, and that the crime involved great violence, the release says.
The man had a Ventura County Superior Court hearing June 1 and the judge called the man’s conduct “egregious” and ordered the man be held in custody with no bail after the prosecutors argued the man “remains a danger to the community.”
On May 27 around 3:30 a.m., officers with the Simi Valley Police Department were called to the 1700 block of Erringer Road on a report of a vehicle crashing into a business, according to a department news release.
The man allegedly used his SUV to ram through the front entrance of a donut shop multiple times, causing extensive damage to the building, according to authorities.
Officers soon spotted an SUV with front-end damage leaving the area and pulled over the vehicle, officials said. The driver allegedly rammed a patrol vehicle multiple times, drove toward an officer but struck a wall of a nearby residence instead, the release says. The final crash disabled his SUV, police said.
When officers tried to arrest the man, they said the man allegedly would not comply and had a knife. Officers used a stun gun to take him into custody.
Police said their initial investigation indicated the man became upset when he learned the business was closed.
The man is held at Ventura County jail with a next court hearing on June 23, jail records show.
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This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: 1 charged in attempted murder tied to Simi donut shop rampage
Reporting by Staff reports, Ventura County Star / Ventura County Star
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By Staff reports, Ventura County Star | USA TODAY Network
