Man tires assaulting security before attempting to light fuel truck on fire
VICTORVILLE CA November 1 2019 — A homeless man is in jail after authorities said he attempted to assault a security guard and then tried to ignite a truck delivering fuel at the Costco gas station Monday night.
Saul Mejia, 39, was arrested and booked in connection with aggravated arson and assault with a deadly weapon, said Victorville Sheriff’s Station spokesperson Mara Rodriguez.
Authorities said at about 8:14 p.m., Mejia was loitering at Costco and asked to leave. A security guard approached him after he walked through the parking lot and attempted to open several car doors.
Rodriguez said when the guard asked him again to leave the property, Mejia “removed a folding knife and a hypodermic needle from his clothing and attempted to assault the guard.”
The guard then pepper-sprayed Mejia and he went to the nearby gas station area. There, Mejia “attempted to light the fuel truck on fire with a lighter, as fuel was being delivered,” according to Rodriguez.
Mejia fled across the street to Valley Hi Toyota, still attempting to get into cars. He also threw rocks at the windows of the business and cars on the lot.
“Deputies arrived and found Mejia to still be acting erratically and refusing to follow commands,” Rodriguez said in an email. “Mejia was taken into custody after deputies used non-lethal force to detain him.”
County inmate records show he is being held at the West Valley Detention Center in lieu of $250,000 bail. He was scheduled for a hearing at Victorville Superior Courthouse on Wednesday.
