A Menlo Park resident allegedly fled and crashed his Tesla after attempting to light a Saratoga winery on fire. Courtesy Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office.
A Menlo Park man was arrested on Dec. 6 after Santa Clara County sheriff’s deputies said he tried to start a fire at a Saratoga winery, threw a wine bottle at staff and then intentionally crashed a Tesla into two parked cars while fleeing the scene.
Deputies responded Saturday afternoon to Garrod Farms Estate Winery & Stables after employees reported that a man had attempted to ignite a fire on the property, according to the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office. When confronted, the 42-year-old Menlo Park man allegedly threw a wine bottle at staff and sped off in his Tesla.
The Sheriff’s Office said the suspect intentionally rammed two parked cars as he fled, sending one vehicle over an embankment. The suspect then drove his Tesla down the same embankment, where he refused to surrender.
A Menlo Park resident allegedly pushed a car into an embankment after attempting to set fire to a Saratoga winery. Courtesy Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies said they made several attempts to de-escalate the situation, but that he barricaded himself in the car. Deputies used pepper ball and pepper spray to force him to crawl out of the vehicle before he was taken into custody.
The suspect was transported to a hospital for evaluation. He will be booked into the Santa Clara County Main Jail on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and resisting arrest, the Sheriff’s Office said on Dec. 8. As of Dec. 9 Santa Clara County jail records do not list an individual with that name.
The incident remains under investigation.
Editor’s note: It is Embarcadero Media Foundation’s policy to withhold the names of those arrested for most crimes until the District Attorney’s Office has determined that there is sufficient evidence to file charges in the case. No active criminal case was found in Santa Clara County for the individual.
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Arden Margulis is a reporter for The Almanac, covering Menlo Park and Atherton. He first joined the newsroom in May 2024 as an intern. His reporting on the Las Lomitas School District won first place coverage…
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