Nipomo men allegedly pour beer on passing car, attack driver

Three Nipomo men — one suspected of local gang activity — were arrested Thursday afternoon after allegedly attacking another man when he confronted them for pouring beer on his car.

The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release that dispatchers received a report of men fighting in the street in the 200 block of South Oakglen Avenue in Nipomo. When deputies arrived, they found a victim who said he was assaulted by several men after driving past them as they stood in the street.

As the victim passed, the men allegedly poured beer on his car. When he got out of his vehicle, he was attacked and suffered serious injuries to his head and face, Sheriff’s Office spokesman Tony Cipolla said Friday.

When the victim fled the attack, one of the men allegedly drove away in his vehicle.

As deputies continued their investigation, Javier Chang and Francisco Encinas Mendoza, both 19, and Noe Chang Leon Jr., 23, all of Nipomo, arrived at the scene. All matched the description of the attackers and were arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon with gang enhancements for conspiracy.

Cipolla said one of the men is suspected — but not documented — by local authorities of being a gang member. The victim is not a gang member, Cipolla said.

The victim was treated for his injuries at a local hospital and released. His car was later found nearby.

As of Friday afternoon, Leon and Chang remained in San Luis Obispo County Jail in lieu of $55,000 bail. Mendoza was no longer in custody, according to jail logs.

This story was originally published January 23, 2015 at 5:30 PM with the headline "Nipomo men allegedly pour beer on passing car, attack driver."