San Mateo County: Man assaults sheriff’s deputy at end of crime spree, authorities say

SAN MATEO COUNTY — An East Palo Alto man assaulted a San Mateo County Sheriff’s deputy after causing chaos at a coffee shop and disrupting traffic Thursday afternoon, according to authorities.

The sheriff’s department said in a news release Friday that deputies had been called to the 2700 block of El Camino Real around 4:15 p.m. Thursday. They found a man targeting moving vehicles to “deliberately cause traffic hazards,” the office said.

Authorities did not say how, specifically, the suspect had been interacting with vehicles.

When approached, authorities said, the man attacked a deputy, causing facial injuries. The deputy was transported to a hospital.

The man, 35, was injured in the scuffle and was also taken to a hospital.

Upon investigation, authorities said, they discovered that the man participated in a series of crimes before the assault.

The sheriff’s office said the man had committed a robbery, burglary and attempted kidnapping of a staff member of a local coffee shop. They also said the man was on bail after an earlier arrest

Authorites did not provide details or immediately answer questions about the earlier alleged crimes or the nature of the suspect’s prior arrest.

The man was arrested and booked into Maguire Correctional Facility following his release from the hospital.