Man arrested for stabbing bystander who intervened during reported theft in Encinitas – San Diego Union-Tribune

A 25-year-old man was arrested Saturday after reportedly stabbing someone who tried to stop him from stealing from a Home Depot in Encinitas.

Sheriff’s Sergeant Giovani Pantoja said the man was trying to make off with the stolen items when three passersby attacked the store on North El Camino Real around 10 a.m.

When confronted, the man pulled out a knife, stabbed one of the bystanders in the leg and fled, Pantoja said in a news release.

Officers put a tourniquet on the injured man and took him to the hospital, Pantoja said. However, they were unable to find the suspected attacker.

Officers returned to the Home Depot to look for more evidence and learned that a man matching the suspect’s description was in the area, officials said. He was later arrested on Anillo Way east of El Camino Real in Carlsbad.

The man suffered unspecified injuries as officers attempted to arrest him and was later booked into Vista Jail around 4 p.m. on charges including assault with a deadly weapon and petty theft, booking records show.