Security Guard Attacked at Mike Fox Skate Park in Santa Cruz

A man who assaulted and injured an on-duty security guard at a Santa Cruz skate park was arrested Tuesday, police said.

At about 8:25 a.m., a security guard employed by First Alarm was at Mike Fox skate park located on San Lorenzo Boulevard near Riverside Avenue in Santa Cruz, police said.

The skate park was closed to the public at the time because a film crew had a permit for exclusive use of the park, according to police.

The suspect, later identified as 40-year-old Brian Raymond Armstrong, approached with a skateboard and jumped a fence to gain access to the skate park, police said.

The security guard, who was hired by the film crew as part of their permit, confronted Armstrong. The security officer asked Armstrong to leave the park, but he refused. Instead, he allegedly raised his skateboard over his head while verbally threatening the security guard.

Armstrong then allegedly grabbed the guard's badge and ripped it off his shirt. The suspect took the badge and ran toward a truck located in a nearby parking lot. The security guard pursued him and approached the truck, police said.

The guard put Armstrong in a headlock, but Armstrong was able to start his truck and threatened to run over the security guard if he wasn't released.

Witnesses told police that Armstrong had a dog in the truck and he was giving his dog commands to "attack" the security guard, officers said.

Armstrong put his vehicle into motion and struck the security guard with an open door, knocking him to the ground.

The suspect then fled the area in his vehicle, described as a white 1994 Toyota pickup truck, police said. Officers located Armstrong in his truck a few blocks away from the skate park.

Armstrong was arrested for robbery and assault with a deadly weapon, police said. 

The security guard suffered moderate injuries and was treated at the scene by emergency medical crews, officers said.

-- Bay City News