At 11:20 am on October 2, 2019, Menlo Park Police officers responded to the area of Bayfront Expressway and University Avenue on the report of a male subject armed with an ax and a knife who threatened CalTrans workers while they were cleaning up trash from the shoulder of eastbound SR-84 (Bayfront Expressway.)
After threatening the workers, the subject fled back into the field before police arrived. A perimeter was set up in the area to search for the suspect. The Menlo Park Fire Protection District responded to the area with their drone to help find the suspect. Attempts to locate the suspect were unsuccessful.
In the search of the marshland area for the suspect, officers were met with an unrelated male subject who was agitated and yelling. The subject grabbed a large tree branch and swung the branch at an officer, which ultimately struck the officer in the face. The officer was able to grab the suspect and detain him.
The officer sustained non-life threatening injuries and was treated by medics at the scene. The suspect, Zeferino Suniga Diaz, 33-year- old male transient, was arrested for 245(c) PC – assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer. He was transported by medics to the hospital for non-life threatening injuries.
The outstanding suspect is described as an Hispanic male, 35-40 years old, 5’9”, 170 pounds, short black hair, unshaven and wearing a gray t-shirt with the words STAFF written on the back, blue jeans and black work boots.
The Menlo Park Police Department is currently investigating this incident and asks anyone who might have information regarding this case and/or who witnessed this incident, to call the Police Department at 650-330-6300 or the Anonymous Tip Hotline at 650-330-6395.
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