REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – A man who was out on bail allegedly went on a crime spree before attacking a sheriff’s deputy in unincorporated Redwood City on Thursday, leaving the deputy hospitalized, authorities said.
The suspect, identified as 35-year-old Nicholas Ibarra of East Palo Alto, was seen by deputies trying to disrupt traffic on the 2700 block of El Camino Real at about 4:15 p.m. When deputies approached him, he violently attacked one deputy, causing facial injuries that required hospitalization, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office. The suspect also suffered facial injuries and was taken to the hospital.
Following the incident, the sheriff’s office revealed that Ibarra was also responsible for a string of recent crimes, including a robbery, a burglary, and the attempted kidnapping of a worker at a coffee shop. Ibarra was apprehended at the scene without further incident and booked into the Maguire Correctional Facility in Redwood City.
Ibarra now faces multiple charges, including attempted kidnapping, burglary, robbery, mayhem, assault likely to cause great bodily injury, and committing a felony while on bail.
The incident highlights the challenges faced by law enforcement in dealing with individuals who continue to commit crimes while out on bail. It also raises questions about the effectiveness of pretrial release and monitoring programs in preventing repeat offenses. Additionally, it underscores the risks that law enforcement officers face in the line of duty, even during routine encounters with suspects.