Man Refuses to Wear Mask, Resulting in Assault of Victim and Fleeing from Police
Montclair man has been arrested after his refusal to wear a mask escalated into an assault of a gas station store manager in Rancho Cucamonga.
The incident took place around 1 PM at the ARCO located at 12280 Highland Avenue on August 4, 2020. Employees who witnessed the crime told Rancho Cucamonga police officers that the suspect, identified as Scott Thomas, “was upset because he was refused service for not wearing a mask properly inside the store and threw a display rack at the [store manager],” according to the release. After the two exited the store, the manager attempted to snap a picture of Thomas’ truck’s license plate. Thomas, who was inside the vehicle, put it in reverse.
“The victim didn’t have time to get out of the way, so he jumped on the trailer hitch and held on to the tail gate,” the release stated. The episode continued to escalate after Thomas sped out of the parking lot, and the manager, unable to safely jump off the hitch, climbed inside the truck bed. “Thomas drove erratically for about a mile, accelerating and slamming on his brakes several times before he pulled over, grabbed the victim and threw him to the ground.”
Deputies found the manager near Vintage Avenue and Rochester Avenue. He was given medical treatment for minor injuries there and subsequently released.
Officers located Thomas and attempted to pull him over, but he refused and continued driving. He was finally apprehended at his girlfriend’s house, where the chase ended. Thomas was booked into the West Valley Detention Center on $50,000 bail.
