A man who allegedly attacked employees at a gas station with several weapons over the weekend is behind bars, the Irwindale Police Department reported Monday.
Officers responded to the Arco AM/PM station at 15875 Arrow Highway on Sunday just after 4:30 p.m. and were told that a male suspect was upset because a soda machine inside the store was empty, Irwindale Police said in a news release.
Witnesses told police the suspect threatened several employees with a hammer and swung a large kitchen knife at them.
“At one point the suspect kicked one of the victims in the chest, causing him to fall. The suspect then struck the victim on his hands/arms multiple times with the hammer. While fleeing the store, the suspect assaulted another employee on the arm with a “stun gun” type device,” police said.
The suspect, who police identified as Edger Morelos, fled the gas station on a bike, but was located a short distance away by officers.
Morelos, 35, of Baldwin Park, was arrested and found in possession of a “construction-type” claw hammer, a kitchen knife with a 5½ inch blade and a metal flashlight with an integrated electric stun device, police reported.
Morelos was booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, battery, exhibiting a deadly weapon, assault with a stun gun device, being a convicted felon in possession of a stun gun device and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Police said Morelos is currently on probation and had an outstanding warrant for his arrest.
He was being held at the Los Angeles County Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles on $115,000.00 bail.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact Detective Diego Cornejo at 626-430-2290 or by email at dcornejo@irwindaleca.gov.
Tips and information can also be provided to the police department anonymously via the Crime Stoppers website at lacrimestoppers.org.
