Ax-Wielding Schizophrenic Man Arrested for Robbery and Assault With a Deadly Weapon on a Police Officer

Garden Grove police officers received a report about a robbery suspect with an ax at around 9:45 AM on October 26, 2020.  They were dispatched to 10742 Westminster Avenue in Garden Grove in search of the suspect, who was reportedly seen entering a Honda Accord.

Officers quickly located the suspect driving south on Euclid and attempted to pull him over.  Refusing to comply, he continued driving until he pulled into the driveway of a residence in Santa Ana.

Police blocked his car in with their patrol vehicles and began giving verbal commands for his compliance. According to the release, “The suspect placed his car in reverse, rammed one of our units and continued to accelerate for a short time, before placing the car in drive and eventually coming to a stop a short distance later.”

The suspect got out of the car and, continuing to ignore officers’ orders, walked over the the passenger side of his vehicle and reached into the interior before approaching the house.  “As he continued to ignore verbal commands and began walking towards the residence, the less lethal shotgun was deployed and struck him three times in the upper leg, with no effect,” the release states.

The suspect entered the home, and three people came outside to meet the officers.  They informed officers that the man was inside the house, that he was a family member, and he had schizophrenia.

Officers continued attempts to communicate with the suspect in both English and Vietnamese via verbal commands and phone calls, but he remained noncompliant.  Finally, police dog K-9 Kody was sent in to apprehend him.

The suspect, who was not identified, was treated for his wounds at a local hospital. He was then booked into Orange County Jail on charges of robbery and assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer.

The aforementioned ax was located in the passenger seat of the suspect vehicle.