Assault with a Deadly Weapon

A bloody assault erupted outside San Clemente last week after a male partygoer beat away an armed assailant with a Razor Scooter.

According to police reports, the conflict arose when a group of out-of-towners left the house where they had been drinking and proceeded to a party in Donner Village. Around 4 a.m., the group was still gathered in the living room and drinking.

Then, according to witnesses, a man who had been using a steak knife to cut lemons for the beers began repeatedly commanding the individuals present to “Look me in the eye.”

At this time, the group began to file out of the apartment when the individual armed with the knife told the crowd “You are not leaving.” He proceeded to pursue the group into the parking lot where a male member of the group slapped the knife from his hand.

According to the police report, this maneuver caused the individual to “snap” and begin attacking the man who had disarmed him. The fight proceeded to the ground, where, in an attempt to flee his aggressor, the victim began assaulting him with his Razor Scooter.

UC Police Dept. spokesman Sgt. Matt Bowman said at 4:24 a.m. his office was alerted to the mutual battery taking place.

“A resident of Donner Village heard a large thud and ran out of her apartment,” Bowman said “She reported that she had found the subject covered in blood and that he had been struck with a Razor Scooter and was bleeding from several different areas of his head. She said his clothes and hands were also covered in blood.”

When officers arrived on the scene, Bowman said the victim of the beating had already been transported to the Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital.

Since both parties engaged in the mutual battery and are not affiliated to with UCSB, Bowman said UCPD forwarded the incident to the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office.

“No arrests have been made,” Bowman said. “The District Attorney’s Office is reviewing the case for potential charges against both parties. They will have to determine who was the bigger aggressor.”

Both parties implicated in the battering face felony charges of CA Penal Code section 245, assault with a deadly weapon.

Outstanding Criminal Warrant

Campus police arrested Mario Vincent Escovar last week when an investigation into campus bicycle theft uncovered his outstanding criminal warrant.

The 34-year-old was arrested on two prior charges — for attempting by threat or violence to deter an officer from performing his or her duty and for violating his probation.

UC Police Dept. spokesman Sgt. Matt Bowman said his team was looking into an incident of stolen property when Escovar’s criminal record surfaced.

“UCPD officers were conducting an investigation into stolen bicycles,” Bowman said. “Officers went over to see about buying back the bike, which was stolen from campus and taken to a home in Goleta.”

At this point, Bowman said, officers identified the suspect and connected him to the outstanding warrant.

“When they arrived, they discovered the individual selling the bike had an outstanding, no-bail warrant out for his arrest,” Bowman said. “So the officers took control of the house and identified all the individuals in the home.”

Vincent was subsequently arrested and booked into Santa Barbara County Jail.