Morning mugging with an audience

Shortly after 10 a.m. on Thursday, August 6, a man was attacked as he approached the main entrance to the Home Depot store located on Town Center Parkway in the Santee Plaza Shopping Center.

According to an eyewitness, the assailant grabbed the victim from behind, threw him to the ground, and started punching him in the face. An older man, standing just inside the doorway, saw the attack and yelled, "Hey, knock it off! What the hell's the matter with you?"

The attacker responded by standing up and walking out of the parking lot toward Cuyamaca Street. When asked if he was okay, the victim jumped to his feet and responded, "He tried to take my wallet," which he still held in his hand.

Several people called 911. The victim and the older man who stopped the assault began following the assailant as he walked south but soon lost sight of him when he took off running. Then, according to the older man, "A couple of guys in a paint truck" took over the pursuit until police arrived.

Later the Home Depot store manager confirmed that the attacker was apprehended. He will likely be charged with assault and attempted robbery. The victim, although dazed and bruised, appeared to have sustained no serious injury.