A city of California police officer who answered a call to check out possible suspicious activity on South East Street near the railroad tracks resulted in the discovery of a robbery victim and a foot chase of the suspected perpetrator.
According to the court documents, the officer began a foot chase of a person who took off running, threw several items on the ground, and continued running. The officer then discovered another person, bloody and aimlessly wandering around. Other officers were called to take up the chase, and an ambulance was called to check out the injured person.
According to the investigation report, Patrick M. Howser, 32, of California, was taken into custody by the other officers. He is alleged to have struck the victim in the back of the head with a large object, possibly a large pocketknife, and stolen a cellphone and other items. When the first officer arrived on the scene, Howser was reported to have thrown the items away while running from the scene.
Howser was charged March 31 with three felonies - robbery in the first degree, armed criminal action and possession of a controlled substance that field-tested as methamphetamine. He was also charged with misdemeanor resisting/interfering with arrest, detention or stop.