Lompoc Police Officers arrested a Lompoc man for attempted murder on Tuesday, August 2, after he allegedly attacked staff and officers at a mental health clinic on the 1000 block of East Ocean Avenue, and attempted to set a room full of people on fire.
Officers located Lompoc resident William Morales, 35, on the 100 block of North Third Street of Lompoc holding a large piece of wood, which he threw at officers before retreating into a mental health building and shutting the door. Officers outside could hear people inside, yelling that the building was on fire.
Officers forced themselves into the building and apprehended Morales. The building was then evacuated as officers put out the fire with their extinguishers. During interviews with victims, officers learned a group of people barricaded themselves in a room to escape Morales’s violent behavior. Morales then allegedly set the room on fire. The damage from the arson is estimated to be more than $10,000.
Due to Morales’s violent behavior during his arrest, he was taken to Lompoc ER, where he reportedly kicked an officer in the head before he was medically cleared, according to a statement from police. Morales was then transported to Santa Barbara County Jail, where he was booked on several charges, including attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, and resisting arrest. His current bail is more than $1 million.
CORRECTION: The incident occurred on East Ocean Avenue not East Orange Avenue as originally reported.
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